


The Archivist

by GuavaTeaPixie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Bathtubs, Blow Jobs, Bodyswap, Budding Love, Canon Divergence - Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Cohabitation, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family Feels, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Honeymoon, Interviews, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Mildly Dubious Consent, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Original Character Death(s), POV Third Person Omniscient, Praise Kink, Rating May Change, Stan Lee Cameo, Vaginal Sex, Wakes & Funerals, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:08:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 29,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24378487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuavaTeaPixie/pseuds/GuavaTeaPixie
Summary: Loki reluctantly agrees to a meeting with a S.H.I.E.L.D archivist and quickly realizes he's in for much more than just a few questions about his home.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 129





	1. The First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Infinity War? What infinity War? It's the Loki I love most, with all the character development and none of that whole messy business.
> 
> Please note that Chapter 8 does contain some memories of situations with dubious consent and just plain bad sex from experiences prior to this relationship. Loki finds consent both essential and sexy. If those aforementioned things make you uncomfortable, please feel free to skip straight from 7 to 9; you'll catch up fine.
> 
> If you're just here for the smut, please proceed directly to Chapter 11 and (hopefully) enjoy!

Loki groaned as the doorbell chimed pleasantly. He had received the official meeting request the day before but was hoping his visitor might get lost along the way, or perhaps have a case of cold feet at meeting someone with his reputation. He despised these little forced interactions, but keeping on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s good side allowed him greater flexibility to live safely on Midgard after the destruction of Asgard, and though he would never admit it out loud, the place did have its charms.  
  
He opened the door to reveal a woman in her late 20s. Short-statured and well-rounded, she was dressed modestly in a sweater and slacks with short heels. Her hair, wavy and brunette, was pinned loosely at the nape of her neck, a few loose strands framing her face. Her eyes were bright behind thinly-rimmed glasses, and she smiled up at him kindly, offering her hand.  
  
"Thank you so much for agreeing to see me. I'm..."  
  
"It wasn't so much an agreement as an obligation," he interrupted coolly, ignoring her outstretched hand and instead stepping out of the doorway and gesturing towards a sitting area.  
  
"I see," she said, the smile fading from her face. She took a seat, opening her leather satchel to retrieve a small laptop as well as a legal pad and pen.  
  
"So you're interested in poking and prodding me like some sort of laboratory specimen, Miss...?"  
  
She looked back up at him, exhaling slowly, the warmth in her eyes turning fiery.  
  
"First of all, Your Highness," she replied curtly, "It isn't 'Miss,' it's 'Dr.,' - I didn't spend 6 years getting a double master's degree in anthropology and linguistics and a PhD in xenoculture to be referred to as 'Miss.'"  
  
He began to open his mouth in response, but she wasn't through.  
  
"I assume even a superior being such as yourself can recognize scholarly accomplishments with at least a modicum of respect."  
  
He shifted in his chair, eyebrows raised.   
  
"And as you may have gleaned from that last bit," she continued, "I have no interest in poking any part of you. Any prodding will be exclusively of the intellectual variety."  
  
"Are you quite finished?"  
  
"Yes," she replied, shifting her gaze downwards.  
  
"It seems I owe you an apology, Doctor. The last official visit I received was from a rather frightening-looking gentleman who used the term 'vivisect' a bit too enthusiastically. I thought perhaps the same division might be trying to ply me with someone more... appealing. I am truly sorry for my misplaced assumptions offending you; that's quite a list of accomplishments."  
  
"Thank you," she replied softly.  
  
"You're taller when you're angry, you know."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Just before, when you were correcting me. You sat up taller. Spoke louder. Much more commanding presence. You should do that more often."  
  
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow, looking up at him with a smile. "Really? I'll take that under consideration."  
  
"So how may I be of service to you, Dr....?"  
  
"Steward. Dr. Anna Steward, Your Highness"  
  
"Loki is fine."  
  
"Loki, then."  
  
"And why is it then that you've requested my company, Dr. Steward?"  
  
She reached into her satchel again and pulled out a card. "I'm an assistant for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s xenocultural archives. Since the destruction of Asgard, we've been attempting to gather as much material for preservation as possible. Firsthand accounts of everyday life, culture, traditions - we've interviewed dozens of citizens, but I thought it might behoove us to have a royal perspective."  
  
"I see. And I suppose this means you contacted my brother as well?"  
  
"I conducted an initial interview with him, just like this, but his knowledge base leans more toward weaponry and battle strategy, so I handed him off to a colleague who specializes in those areas."  
  
"And what may I ask do you specialize in, Dr. Steward?"  
  
"Arts and social customs are my primary areas of focus. Literature, music, fine art, and the things that inspire them," she explained. "Your brother actually suggested you might be more of what I'm looking for."  
  
He smiled at her, his features softening. She swore she heard his voice lower a bit. "I don't agree with my brother often, but I certainly hope I can give you just what you need."  
  
She felt suddenly warmer, unsure if he'd meant that as a double entendre or if she was letting her mind run a bit wild with the admittedly handsome being sitting across from her.  
  
"So where do I begin? he asked. "Would you like me to list everything I can recall about Asgard in a single afternoon?"  
  
The question brought her focus back to the purpose of her visit. "Not quite. I've got some introductory questions today to give you an overview of what I'm after. If you're amicable to the idea, I can set up more time to meet and go over each topic in more depth. I'll record the conversations on my laptop and take some notes as well. Or, if you'd prefer not to have me taking so much of your time, I could send you a list of questions and you could simply reply with as much information as you're willing to share.  
  
"I believe I'd very much enjoy having you take up my time. Why don't you start with your questions and we'll see how far we get?"  
  
She opened the laptop, clicked a few buttons, then opened her legal pad to a full page of scrawling questions. He watched as she absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she reviewed her notes, hoping for at least a dozen more pages of questions that would take hours, perhaps even days, to answer. This feisty little Midgardian intrigued him, pulling at something long dormant inside him, and he wanted to see where more time with her might lead. 


	2. The First Parting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Loki and Anna's first meeting comes to an end, both plans and realizations are made.

She spent the next two hours outlining her research to him, stopping occasionally to ask questions and take notes. More than once Loki found himself distracted by some small gesture – like the way she worried her bottom lip when she searched for a particular spot in her notes, or how she fidgeted with her watch band as tried to come up with an explanation for a Midgardian term he wasn’t already familiar with.

“I’m sure you don’t have much actual experience cooking since you’re royal,” she continued, “but even just describing the dishes from different feasts and holidays would be an enormous help. My hope is to be able to recreate some of them by the end. I’ve had quite a lot of luck with the everyday dishes I’ve learned about so far, but I’m sure your meals were much grander than some of the others I’ve interviewed.”

“You cook?” he asked, in a somewhat surprised tone.

“Is that unusual to you? I’ve gotten quite good with a recipe for honey cake that one of the women shared.”

“Is that so? I haven’t had that in ages. And the women in Asgard who engaged in scholarly pursuits were either born into or married into noble families. They had servants for that sort of thing. I’ve never come across a scholar who could cook for themselves.”

“Midgard is quite different, I’m afraid,” she explained. “Scholars are not necessarily respected or from the higher classes. We have a bit of a reputation for struggling, actually. Small apartments, bad coffee, instant noodles, that sort of thing.”

“Instant…noodles?”

“Believe me, Loki, that’s one aspect of Midgardian culture you can largely skip; you aren’t missing much.”

“Speaking of which,” he began hesitantly, “I would like to make a request of you, in return for assisting with your research. If I’m teaching you what I know about Asgardian culture, will you introduce me to more of Midgardian culture? A touch of quid pro quo, if you will.”

She couldn’t stifle a chuckle. “Of course you’re a fan of that movie.”

He looked at her with genuine confusion. “What movie?”

Her phone beeped twice from her bag just then, and her focus shifted. “Our time’s up for today. Would you be willing to see me again, same time next week?”

“I would. More often, if you’d like. It’s a noble pursuit, what you’re doing. I’m at your disposal.”

She smiled broadly at that. “Would you mind handing me the media controller from the table behind you?”

He passed her the device and with a few taps she queued up a film to the television on the other end of the room.

He read the title, his forehead wrinkling in puzzlement. “I’m a fine rider, but not much for animal husbandry, Dr. Steward.”

“It’s not meant to be taken literally, Loki. It’s a thriller. An investigator has to consult with a brilliant but deadly psychiatrist so she can stop a serial killer from taking another victim. Probably the highest-acclaimed of any scary movie on Midgard. I’ve seen it a dozen times – trust me, you’ll like it.”

“Would you care to stay, in that case? Watch it with me? I might have questions.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Ah, don’t let me keep you then,” he said, quickly standing and making his way to the door.

“I mean I can’t today. I have a conference call with my colleagues in half an hour,” she explained, tucking her things back into her satchel carefully and stepping toward him. “But I have a free afternoon the day after tomorrow. Could I come at 2 to discuss seasonal feasts and then stay for the movie?”

“That sounds like a fine plan, Dr. Steward,” he said, opening the door for her.

“Loki?”

“Yes?”

“You can call me Anna.”

“Until next time then, Anna.”

Loki closed the door gently behind her as she departed, then returned to his seat at the table, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He tried to brush off the feelings that crept up on him in her presence, but in two hours this Midgardian had made him feel more at ease with himself than he had in years. She wasn’t afraid of him, hell, she’d barely known him a full minute before standing her ground in front of him without a second thought. She was brilliant, well spoken, and could engage him intellectually, which was rare for a mortal. He took a deep breath and headed for the kitchen to start a pot of tea and contemplate how he might win the affections of Dr. Anna Steward.

A short walk down the corridor, Anna sighed softly as she pressed the elevator call button. _Stupid girl_ , she thought to herself. _Just because he was nice to me does not mean that I am of any more consequence to him than a stray kitten. He was only asking me to stay out of some sense of politeness, and I had to go and make a whole thing of it. He’s a god and a prince, he must have women from every realm of existence throwing themselves at his feet and here I am with a crush even though I should know better._ The elevator doors opened to let her in, then closed swiftly behind her. She pressed the button for her floor, leaned back against the wall, and groaned. It was going to be a long assignment.


	3. Popcorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie night for Anna and Loki

Two days later, Loki was listening as intently as he could to Anna reading back the notes she’d taken of him describing Asgard’s solstice festivals, occasionally interjecting with similarities she found to Midgard’s own annual traditions. After what seemed like an eternity, she closed her laptop and looked up at him, smiling.

“That should be more than enough for today. Still want to watch that movie?”

“If you don’t mind,” he smiled mischievously, “I have a surprise for you first.” He rose, leading her towards the apartment’s kitchen. “I did some research yesterday and learned to make popcorn.”

“Is that why it smells like something burnt in here?” Anna laughed.

“Turns out it is a bit more difficult than one would be led to believe. I think I have it now.”

“You focus on that. I’ll be right back, I have something for you too, it’s in my bag.”

She returned a minute later with a stack of small packages and set them out one by one on the kitchen counter. “Traditional movie theater candy. I wasn’t sure which you’d like, so I brought a little of everything to try. I’ve got chocolate-covered peanuts, chocolate-covered fruit, chocolate-covered caramels…”

“I’m sensing a pattern.”

“Red licorice twists, gummy worms…”

“Worms?”

“Not that kind of worms. And my personal favorite, rainbow sour belts. I opened the package when I bought them this morning so they’d get extra chewy. Much better that way.”

“I see,” he mused, clearly a bit overwhelmed by the choices. He poured the finished popcorn carefully into a large bowl, drizzling it with melted butter from a small saucepan. “But it’s four in the afternoon, won’t this utterly ruin our appetites for dinner?”

“That’s the intention, Loki. It’s your first scary movie. Splurge a little and enjoy yourself. You can have a salad or something tomorrow.” Loki retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator and they carried the snacks into his living room, settling into the large sectional sofa with the popcorn and candy between them.

For the next two hours, Anna delighted in looking over to see Loki’s reactions to some of the most memorable scenes of the movie. He watched intently, taking his gaze from the screen only to reach for the occasional snack and managed – more than once, she noticed – to brush his hand against hers in the popcorn bowl.

“What did you think?” she asked as the credits rolled.

“Exceptional! What else do I need to watch?”

“Depends on what you’re after. There are dramas, romances, comedies… History of the World Part 1 might be fun, it’s a satire of Midgardian history.”

“Why not the other parts?”

“There’s just the one. It’s part of the joke. OH! I know just what you should watch next.” She reached for the remote and queued up another title. “It’s about a man who goes to visit his estranged wife at her office, and while he’s in the bathroom, a group of armed men take everyone hostage. It has a lot of action, but also some funny moments.”

“Will you watch it with me next week? Same as today?”

“I’d like that.”

“Will you let me order something proper for dinner next time?”

“Probably a better idea,” she laughed, looking at all the empty candy boxes, “I’m going to feel awful tomorrow. Speaking of which, I should head home. Thank you for the popcorn.”

“Thank you for the feast of chocolate-covered things. And all the rest.” He stood and crossed the room to open the door for her as she retrieved her satchel.

“Goodnight, Anna.”

“Goodnight, Loki.”

He closed the door behind her, his thoughts turning to the way her skin had felt on his hand each time he’d brushed it against hers. He tried to calculate how much information he could provide her with, more material for her research so she’d continue to spend those afternoons with him, and how many evenings he could spend next to her on the sofa as a result.

This time as she walked to the elevator, Anna didn’t fight the smile that crept across her face. He may have been the trickster god, but sharing popcorn was one of the oldest tricks in the Midgard book; she’d at least tried to be a little more subtle with the candy. She wondered how long it would take him to ask her on a real date. In the meantime, she knew plenty of good movies.


	4. The Last Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting to get into the reeeeeeally fluffy stuff here. Which will lead nicely, I hope, into the smutty bits.

It took 3 weeks and 5 more movie nights.

Anna had more than enough information for her research, and let him know this would be the last, just a few final questions and a brief overview of the presentation she'd created to showcase her work to her superiors. The actual archive documents totaled over 300 pages already, and she had significantly more work in progress; she estimated it would total nearly a thousand pages by the time she finished transcribing her conversations with Loki and added the photos and diagrams she'd compiled.

Loki leaned back in his chair, brow furrowed. "So, we won't be working together anymore?"

"Not in any official capacity, no... but that doesn't mean we can't still just watch movies sometimes."

"No," said Loki firmly.

"Oh...alright," said Anna, feeling a knot begin to tighten in her stomach. Perhaps she had mistaken him after all.

"I don't want to JUST watch movies with you, only see you on occasion." She looked up at him, but his gaze was fixed on the table in front of him. "I want to see you often. I want to take you out properly. Romantically. On dates."

"Loki," she said softly, "look at me."

His gaze drifted slowly upwards to meet hers. She was smiling broadly.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that, Loki? I would've asked you but I was terrified of making a fool of myself."

"I didn't want to overstep our professional connection. But if that's finished... I very much want to pursue something more."

"There's an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum I've been wanting to see. How about Saturday afternoon at 3? I'm having lunch with some friends in the city and can meet you at the museum."

"That sounds very nice. Will you still stay for a movie tonight?"

"I'd love to."

Anna packed up her work things while Loki made popcorn and was waiting for him on the couch when he returned. He sat down with the bowl between them as usual, but she quickly scooped it up and took its place next to him, putting the bowl down on her lap instead. He smiled, shifting to put his arm around her.

"What is this one about?"

"An undercover spy and his wife who doesn't know about what he does for a living. Some action, some comedy, and one of the best one-liners in any movie ever."

This time neither of them bothered hiding their ulterior motives with slight brushes in the popcorn bowl. Instead, by the end of the first big chase scene on snowmobiles, they were holding hands.


	5. A Proper Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna opens up, and Loki realizes they have more in common than he realized

Anna arrived at the museum a few minutes before 3 o'clock, seeing Loki already waiting outside for her. He smiled as he noticed her coming around the corner.

He'd only ever seen her in work clothes, so she spent more time than she would've liked frowning into her closet trying to decide what she should wear on an actual date. In the end, she settled on a deep green tunic dress and comfortable flats that wouldn't tear her feet up walking around a museum all afternoon, letting her hair air-dry and fall in its natural waves.

“I came a bit early to get tickets for the special exhibition,” he explained, “but I’m afraid they were sold out for the day. Maybe we could come again another afternoon?”

Anna grinned sheepishly and reached into her handbag for a folded sheet of paper. “I may have bought tickets two weeks ago, and if, by chance, that was a thing that I did, I was trying to figure out how to ask you if you’d like to join me.”

“Well isn’t that lovely. I suppose I may offer to buy you dinner then, if that’s something you’d be willing to consider. That is, if you haven’t bored of me by the time we’re through here.

He offered her his arm, and together they walked up the stairs to the massive marble entryway. They made their way to the queue for the traveling exhibit, talking quietly as they waited, Anna explaining some of the types of Midgardian painting, and why the Impressionists, featured in this exhibition, were a favorite of hers.

The exhibition room was somewhat crowded, and Anna found herself having to stand on tiptoe more than once to be able to see the paintings fully over the shoulders in front of her. She also noticed, rather disconcertingly, a few people glaring at Loki, she assumed because of anger at his past transgressions. One went so far as to jostle her as he walked by to the next painting, showing a clear distaste for her just for being in his company. Since all of their time getting acquainted thus far had been in the comfort of his quarters on the compound, she hadn’t considered the possibility that the outside world wasn’t as forgiving as those in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own bubble.

After they’d made a slow lap around, getting a look at each painting, she leaned up and whispered, “How would you feel about somewhere a little less crowded?” His face was answer enough. “This way, I know just the place.”

She took his hand and led him back towards the entrance hall to a hallway in the far end of the building, winding through a wing they’d added a few years prior leading to the outdoor sculpture garden. The garden was nearly deserted, and they found a well-shaded bench.

“You’ve spent the last few weeks learning quite a lot about me, may I get to know you a bit more now?” he asked.

“Where should I start?”

“Have you always lived in New York?”

“No, actually. I’ve only lived here for about 3 years now; I came to work on my doctorate. Before that it was Chicago and Raleigh-Durham, in North Carolina. I grew up in Missouri.”

“Is that nearby?”

Anna laughed. “Not even close. Over a thousand miles, and honestly I’d be happier if it was more than that.

“Unhappy childhood?”

“Not…necessarily? My childhood was fine, I suppose. It was when I got older and started to see that things weren’t quite as idyllic as they seemed when it started to get bad. I’m the oldest child of four, and there were certain expectations that I chose not to meet.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I do know a thing or two about not meeting expectations.”

“This was a bit different than you. I actively rebelled against what they wanted for me because I knew what the plan was from the beginning. I was supposed to help raise my younger brothers and sister, to marry young and start having children of my own. I wasn’t supposed to go to college, let alone get advanced degrees. I was meant to keep quiet, serve, and most of all obey.

“Why in the nine would that be the lot for someone so gifted?”

“That’s going to take some explaining, if you really want to know.”

“I do.”

And so Anna started with her family’s religious beliefs, and the roles they dictated. She told him how she’d started to question things as a teenager, and while her parents feared she would be tempted by drugs or sex, instead her temptation was in knowledge – she snuck books, opened a checking account in secret so she could send in college application fees, and spent an afternoon picking the lock on a filing cabinet so she could find her parents’ tax return and apply for financial aid while they were out of the house.

Both of them were so wrapped up in Anna’s story that they didn’t notice the time begin to pass, and it was only a gentle throat-clearing that made them both stop and turn to look at the elderly gentleman in his security uniform.

“Sorry to interrupt, sir, miss, but the museum is closing.”

They apologized and made their exit, continuing their conversation as they walked to a nearby bistro for dinner, adding a bottle of wine to the equation, marveling at the similarities in two lives otherwise led so differently. Anna told him about her undergraduate research, and the opportunities she took to travel abroad and see other cultures.

They took a rideshare back to the compound, and he walked her back to her apartment, amazed at the strength he hadn’t seen before, hidden just under the surface of her humor, her passion, her brilliance. They stood outside on the stoop, so intent on each other that neither noticed the time beginning to pass. All at once, their conversation was interrupted by the sudden hum of the walkway lights kicking on. They'd been so busy talking that neither had noticed the sun creeping down below the horizon.  
  


"It's getting late," he said softly, "I should let you get on with your evening. I've so enjoyed our time together."

She looked up at him, hoping he might kiss her, but as he leaned down, he changed course ever so slightly to the left, brushing his lips against her cheek.

"Perhaps somewhere a bit more... intimate next time?" he whispered, so softly and so deeply and so close to her ear that she could feel the blush creeping up her neck and towards her cheeks.

"I'd like that."

He smiled, giving her hand the lightest of squeezes before he let go. "Very well then. Good night, Anna."

"Good night, Loki."

She paused before swiping her key card, watching him walk down the path towards his quarters in the main building of the compound. So many people, even after everything that had come to light in the intervening years, didn't trust him. Anna, who firmly believed in the old adage of "once burned, twice shy," and kept almost everyone in her life at arm's length, was inexplicably drawn to a man whose reputation was built on lies and tricks. And somehow, for reasons she couldn't quite articulate or even fully understand, she felt no fear.

Loki smiled as he walked, tempted to turn back for one more look at her, but he refrained. He was afraid if she knew how gone on her he already was, it might make her shy away, and that was the last thing he wanted. She had clearly been hurt before, and he had every intention of nurturing her growing feelings as slowly as it would take. He wanted her fiercely; he wanted her in his arms, in his bed, in every way imaginable. But time was something he had an abundance of, so until she made it clear she was ready for those things too, he would wait.


	6. A Headache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second date goes a bit differently

Loki wasn't expecting her for another hour or two, so when his phone rang, he was pleasantly surprised to see Anna calling.  
  
"Hello there. Finished early, I hope?"  
  
"No, I'm so sorry Loki, I'm just on a break. Every meeting has run long today, my director is asking me to go into more detail on some of my newest research, and I have an absolute throbbing nightmare of a headache. I don't think I have it in me to be any fun tonight."  
  
"Are you sure? We don't have to go out. At least come by for a bit before you go home, won't you? You can curl up on the sofa and I'll make you some tea."  
  
"I don't want to be a bother."  
  
"You couldn't be a bother to me if you tried."  
  
"Alright then. 2 more hours, maybe 3? If you're sure it's not any trouble."  
  
"I'll see you then."  
  
She hung up the phone, a bit taken aback in his response. As comfortable as they’d gotten with each other in the past few weeks, they'd only been on one real date. It seemed almost uncharacteristically domestic of him, but the rest of her week was packed and this would be her only time to see him for several days, so she let her curiosity win and pressed on through her last meetings of the day.  
  
By the time she finished, her head was still throbbing dully. The lights in the hall leading up to Loki's quarters were painfully bright, and by the time he opened the door for her, all she could do was step into his waiting arms and wordlessly press her forehead to his chest with a soft groan.

He was dressed far more casually than she'd ever seen him, in a cotton tunic and trousers, his feet bare. The soft fabric of his shirt felt cool against her forehead.  
  
"Poor darling. Have you taken anything for your head? I went to the store and bought everything they had for a headache."  
  
Anna turned to the two plastic shopping bags on the table, finding one filled with every kind of over-the-counter headache remedy imaginable and the other with bottled drinks. "I spoke with the pharmacist, and she said taking the medication with something called a soda might help, but I've never seen you drink one," Loki continued. "They had dozens and I wasn't sure which kind you would like so the young man at the counter recommended a few."  
  
He was horrified when she turned back to him with tears starting to slide slowly down her cheeks.   
  
"No, no, please don't! Anna, don't cry, tell me what I've done wrong and I'll fix it, please."  
  
She tried smile at him, but her lip quivered and more tears began to fall. "You haven't done anything wrong. You've done more than I could've asked for, and you're so wonderful and I just never...I'm not used to..." she trailed off, letting out a small sob.  
  
He took her hands in his, leading her to the sofa. "Sweet girl. Let me take care of you. Come sit and let it out. A rest will do you some good." He sat with her for a few minutes, holding her close until her breathing steadied and sniffles abated. "Would you like something to drink now? Or something to take for your head? The pharmacist showed me something called headache powder, which apparently tastes vile but works quickly."  
  
"Yes please."  
  
He brought her a packet of powder and a bottle of Dr. Pepper, which she accepted with a smile. "How did you know this is my favorite?"  
  
"Lucky guess," he grinned cheekily, leaning over to kiss her forehead as he returned to his spot next to her. "You're both doctors."  
  
Anna tipped the packet's contents into her mouth with a grimace, swallowing then chasing it quickly with the drink. She toed off her shoes and curled up on the middle of the couch, grabbing one of the throw pillows to lean her head against him.   
  
"I have one more thing that might help, if you'll let me try." he said.  
  
"Mmm-hmm? What's that?"  
  
He reached for a small bottle on the table in front of them and from it poured a few drops of liquid into his palm. As he rubbed his hands together, the smell of peppermint began to drift towards her.  
  
"With all of our differences, I learned one treatment for headaches is very much the same here as it was on Asgard. Tell me if it's uncomfortable or if you want me to stop, alright darling?"  
  
She closed her eyes and felt his fingertips graze over her temples, leaving a lovely cool trail behind them. He rubbed delicate circles from her temples to the middle of her forehead and back several times before moving carefully upwards to massage her scalp. Coolness began tingling across her, coming in slow waves that ebbed against the throb of her headache."  
  
"You called me darling," she mumbled, “I like that, that feels…” beginning to drift slowly off as she relaxed into his hands. “…lovely.”  
  
"Indeed, you are, darling," he whispered, his fingertips working slowly through her hair and down to her neck. "Indeed you are." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating will go up from here... fingers crossed I don't mess it up!


	7. The First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up right where the last chapter left off. Things warm up. Just a little.

Once he was certain she was asleep, Loki left one hand gently running through Anna's hair, and used to other to pick up the book he'd left on the coffee table. He looked over to check on her every so often, curled up tightly next to him. After some time she sighed softly and he thought she might be waking up, but instead she rolled over slightly, nuzzling his hand in the process. He noticed the hem of her skirt starting to creep up her leg from the movement, and carefully pulled a throw from the back of the couch to drape over her, slowly returning his hand to her head and his attention to his book for the next couple of hours.

Anna opened her eyes slowly. It felt like only a minute or two since she closed them, but daylight was no longer visible out the window, and Loki had turned on a lamp beside the couch at some point. She looked up at him, completely engrossed in his book. Rather than speak, she raised her head to meet his hand, still next to her, and rested her forehead against his palm.  
  
"Feeling better?" he asked softly.  
  
"So much, thank you. How long was I out?"  
  
He glanced toward the wall clock. "It's almost eight."  
  
She bolted upright. "I didn't realize, I hope it wasn't a bother. Loki..."  
  
"Yes darling?"  
  
"I'm sorry I cried earlier. I didn't mean to make things uncomfortable. And then I just passed out for like 3 hours, which is awkward, because this is still new and I don't want you to think -"  
  
"Anna," he stopped her, taking both her hands in his, "Even though we’ve not known each other very long, I care for you very much, and those feelings do not change when you’re unwell."  
  
She paused, searching for the right words. " I care for you too, Loki. I’m just not used to having anyone _want_ to care for me without expecting something in return. I've spent so long looking after myself, sometimes I'm afraid to let go.  
  
"In some ways, I feel that same fear. But perhaps, instead of letting go, we could learn to face things together. Lean on one another. Slowly. Until it doesn't seem so frightening anymore."

“Be stronger together?”

“Precisely.”  
  
"Loki," Anna whispered.  
  
"Anna?" he whispered in return.  
  
"You should kiss me now."  
  
He nodded in response, pulling her hands towards him, kissing her knuckles first, then each palm before placing them on his chest.   
  
"You are extraordinary," he whispered, tracing his fingertips from her temples down to jaw, leaning in to just barely brush her lips with his. She came to meet him, her lips pressing softly against his, hands sliding up his shoulders to his neck so she could pull him closer to her. His arms wrapped around her slowly, running up her back from her waist to her shoulders, drawing a small sigh as she parted her lips to the barest tease from his tongue.

They parted just enough to catch their breath, and he pressed his forehead to hers before leaning to one side.

“You should go home and get some rest,” he whispered, brushing soft kisses across to her ear, “so we can get on with the week and spend some time together this weekend.” His lips made their way slowly back to hers for a final lingering kiss.

“Do we have to go out,” she asked, “or can we stay in and watch a movie?”

“I was thinking of staying in, but I can’t promise I’ll pay attention to the movie.” 


	8. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old memories are drudged up, and an inevitable first fight changes some plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains recollections of Anna's past lovers that are at best super lame and at worst poking into dubious consent territory. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can tootle right on over to the next chapter, which I'm posting simultaneously. The only thing you'll need to know is that they've had an argument, but there's enough in the way of context to keep up, and all the good stuff starts happening at the end.

Over the next few weeks they fell into something of a pattern, almost mirroring the time before their first date. They usually managed to fit in a weeknight movie, although those became less and less about watching the films and more about curling up together, talking about their weeks, and eventually foregoing the movie altogether in favor of increasingly steamy makeout sessions. Anna had never had anyone take things quite so slowly before, and while sometimes she wondered why he might be hesitant to go further, the time they spent together usually put those thoughts out of her mind.  
  


On weekends they each took turns planning a date for the other; one Friday evening he surprised her with tickets to the symphony, and the next Saturday she took him to the zoo so he could see all the Midgardian wildlife. He was particularly fascinated by the giraffes, spending quite a while pondering how they managed to keep their balance with such strange necks, and noted her love for the penguins as they walked through the chilled exhibit, surprising her later in the gift shop with a small stuffed bird. He was afraid it first she might find it silly, but when she finally asked him over to her apartment for dinner one night, he noticed it sitting prominently on a shelf amongst several framed photos and small trinkets - clearly a place of great honor.  
  


"Who's this little one?" he asked, pointing to a photo of a teenaged Anna laughing with a small child held upside down in her arms. She stepped away from the pasta sauce she'd been stirring and sighed softly when she saw which photo he meant. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."  
  


"No, it's okay, really," she said. "Remember I told you my family is a complicated subject?"  
  


"Is that one of your brothers?"  
  


"Jacob. The youngest. I was already in middle school when he was born, and I was responsible for him a lot of the time. We were very close before I moved away..." he followed her gaze to the next photo, "and this is the whole family. My parents there in the middle, Bobby is two years younger than me, he's married with a baby now, and Felicity on the right, she's a year younger than Bobby."  
  


"I'm sorry things have been difficult between you."  
  


"It's something that would've happened sooner or later," said Anna. "I'm not sure quite where I fell off the predestined path, but I just wasn't meant to be who they wanted, or act the way they wanted, or marry who they wanted."  
  


"You were betrothed?" he asked, surprised.  
  


"Not quite betrothed...but certain assumptions had been made. I dated the same boy through most of high school, we knew each other our whole lives. He wanted to start a family and thought if he proposed right after we graduated that I would change my mind about college. It didn't go over well with him or my parents when I said no."  
  


He stepped away, brow furrowed, and sat down on her couch.   
  


"Anna," he began, but paused. His tone was more serious than she was used to, and it began to worry her. "May I ask you something? It's difficult to articulate and may not be my place to ask at all, and you don't have to answer."  
  


"Ask away." said Anna. "I may not answer, but you can ask."  
  


"It's only that sometimes I've noticed when we're..."  
  


"When we're...what? Together?"  
  


"Kissing...quite a lot."  
  


"Making out?"  
  


"Yes, that. You get so tense sometimes and I worry I've done something wrong but I can't figure out what and... did he hurt you Anna? Make you do something you didn't want to do?"  
  


"You're right, that is a difficult question, and the answer is complicated. It's hard to explain."  
  


He reached across the couch, taking her hands in his. She began to smile up at the sweet gesture but was stopped cold as memories began to flash in front of her. Ones she'd pushed away for a long time, hoping to forget.

_Her dress was baby pink, and far fluffier than she'd have picked for herself, but Mama had insisted. Nathan sat in the driver's seat across from her, tuxedo mussed, looking angry._

_"Why do you want to go away? Don't you love me? Don't you want to be with me?"_

_"I do love you Nate, I just..."_

_"You just what? You just want to go whore around a little before you settle down? Find someone with a bigger dick? No one else will ever love you when you've already been used up Anna. I've already had you."_

_The image changed. Her dress was pushed up in a mountain of polyester and tulle. She could hardly see Nate over it as he thrust mindlessly into her. It didn't matter anyway. He wouldn't care if he saw the tears welling in her eyes. It didn't hurt, it didn't feel good, it wasn't anything really. She was numb. All she could think of was getting away._

_He came with a loud grunt. "Maybe this time you'll get pregnant. Really won't be able to leave then, will you?"_

_The image changed again. Another boy, a tiny dorm room, a jacket with a fraternity emblem slung over the foot of her bed. This time she had enjoyed herself._

_"Thanks for being so cool about this," he said as he dressed, "I've got way too much going on for anything serious right now."_

_The image changed again, it was a month later and she passed the same boy walking hand-in-hand with a girl in a sorority sweater. She was thinner and blonder, and Anna's face fell into a frown as she wondered why she wasn't enough._

_The image changed a final time._

_"Did you come?" the man asked._

_"Nah, but don't worry about it, I don't always. You were great."_

_"Thanks, babe._

Anna pulled her hands away from Loki's.   
  


"Loki what the fuck? What the actual fuck?"  
  


"You said it was difficult to explain, I thought perhaps if I could see then I could understand, and..."  
  


"You don't just go into people's heads like that Loki."  
  


"But... it's what I do."  
  


"I mean you don't just go into MY head like that. Without my permission! It's private."  
  


"I'm sorry, darling, I just..."  
  


"Loki," she said quietly, "I think you should go home."  
  


"Please, Anna, don't."  
  


"I just need some space right now. Go home. You can call me tomorrow. But for now you've got to go."  
  


He stood up and walked towards the door, turning back to look at her as he grasped the doorknob, hoping for anything, but there was only silence.  
  


She sat on the couch, staring at her bare feet, making an effort not to look at him; if she looked at him she would want to run to him and hug him and finish dinner and spend the evening giggling about garlicky kisses, and everything else she'd planned.  
  


Instead, she waited until she heard the door close behind him and was certain he'd gone. She stepped into the kitchen long enough to turn off the stove and throw her half-cooked meal into the trash. She went into her bedroom, and peeled off her loose sweater and comfortable jeans, taking a long look in the mirror at the delicate emerald green chemise she thought she'd been so clever to hide underneath. It was meant to be a surprise, something to show him she was ready to take another step with him. She pulled it over her head and threw it out of sight, trading it for an old t-shirt.   
  
Without bothering to get under the covers, she flopped sideways across the bed and stared at the ceiling, finally letting the tears come. They dropped silently down the sides of her face as she laid there, thinking about places and faces she'd tried so hard to leave behind. Finally, when the tears had dried up and her hurt and anger began to dwindle, she fell into a restless sleep.  
  


Loki wasn't entirely sure where he was going. He hadn't wanted to go home, so he walked aimlessly instead. Not so long ago he might've sulked off by himself to wallow or found something to destroy in a rage. He was angry, disappointed in himself for upsetting her, and aching from the way she'd just shut down. Why hadn't she yelled at him, or slapped him, or done anything at all except sit there shrinking into herself.  
  


He wandered the grounds until darkness enveloped the sky and the pathway lights came on. He wandered through the main building, past the training facilities, briefly considering a run or a spar with one of Stark's drones, but he couldn't quite bring himself to step inside. He walked down the corridors of the housing quarters, tempted to stop at his brother's door, but passed for fear of Thor's likely solution of getting him blind drunk to ease his sorrow. But the resident behind another door, not far from Thor's, suddenly occurred to him as perhaps the only one who might understand his indiscretion and offer some insight as to how he could possibly atone.  
  


He took a deep breath and rang the bell. A moment later the petite, smiling figure of Wanda Maximoff opened the door.  
  


"Wanda, I desperately need your advice."  
  


"Does it involve that lovely woman I saw you walking with last week? She had the sweetest laugh. I didn't even know you could be funny."  
  


"It does. I've done something terribly stupid and I don't know how to fix it."  
  


"Come in. I'll make tea."


	9. Hearts and Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath and make-up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're here because you skipped Chapter 8, thanks for bearing with me.
> 
> If you're here because you wanted to skip straight to the chapter where the E-rating comes in, welcome!
> 
> If you've just been reading the story and are now wondering why the author is so weird, sorry.

Anna dragged herself out of bed after three rounds with the snooze button. Her head ached and her eyes felt raw and her heart felt no better. He'd only been trying to understand, she assured herself, he didn't realize it would make you so angry and he clearly felt bad afterwards... she knew in her heart she had already forgiven him, but didn't quite know how to relay that feeling to her brain just yet. She only hoped she hadn't put him off for good.  
  


As she stepped into the corridor, she noticed a paper coffee cup next to her door. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't litter - there was still steam trailing from the top. She picked it up, glancing around the quiet, empty hallway. A message was carefully written on the cardboard sleeve: _I'm sorry I made you lose sleep_. The liquid inside was still too hot to drink, it couldn't have been sitting there for more than a few minutes, but she couldn't see Loki anywhere. She checked her phone - no notifications. Still, it had to be him.  
  


She drank the mocha - her favorite - as she walked across the campus to her small department office. When she arrived, there was a white cardboard takeout box on her desk, which opened to reveal an egg sandwich and fresh fruit. On the inside of the lid, in the same careful handwriting: _I'm sorry I ruined your plans for dinner_. As she ate her breakfast, her head and her heart began peaceful negotiations over the impending forgiveness of Loki's transgression.  
  


Several hours later she was deep into transcribing work and hadn't noticed it was past 1 until there was a knock at the door delivering a lunch she hadn't ordered. Inside the bag was chicken tortellini soup, a specialty from the cafe where she and Loki had spent their first date. Tucked in between it and the accompanying rolls was a card. On one side, a doodle of a giraffe bending down to examine a penguin, on the other, another neatly written note: _I'm sorry I disrespected your autonomy and boundaries_. She thought as she began to eat. It occurred to her that he hadn't tried to win her back with some extravagant show of affection or broad apology. He gave her the space she requested but sent small acts of care along with each specific acknowledgment of remorse. It was his respect for her in addition to his attraction that sometimes caught her off guard. He didn't talk down to her because she was mortal or because she was a woman or because they were in a relationship.   
  


She left a bit early from work and went straight to his quarters, confident her brain and her heart were now clearly in agreement. Her hand hadn't even made contact with the doorbell when the door swung open. He had dark circles under his eyes; he must not have slept well either. She couldn't think of how to start, so instead she practically tackled him with a hug. Relief washed over him as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as he could and kissing the top of her head softly.  
  


"Anna, I'll never touch your thoughts without your permission again, I swear it. I am so, so sorry. Please forgive me."  
  


"Loki, I'd forgiven you before the door closed behind you last night," she said, letting her heart speak, "I just needed some time to wrap my head around things." She pressed her head into his chest; his heart was pounding.  
  


"Will you stay a while?" he asked tentatively.  
  


"You couldn't pry me off you right now if you tried."  
  


"Well in that case..." he chuckled, "I suppose I'll need to carry you to the couch." And with that he scooped her up and swung her around, reveling in the sound of her laughter. He sat down carefully on the couch, pulling her into his lap. She kissed him then, slowly at first, building to a fevered pace that made her pull away to catch her breath.  
  


"Loki," she began, "having you over last night... it wasn't just about dinner. I wanted to show you I was ready for more. Physically, I mean."  
  


"Ah, I see. I stepped ever farther out of line than I realized."  
  


"But if you don't want me that way, especially now, I understand."  
  


"Darling, what in all the realms would lead you to think I don't want you in every way imaginable?"

  
His words simultaneously tugged at her heart and sent all the blood straight away from her brain.  
  


"We've been seeing each other for a few weeks and you haven't really... I just... ugh this is so awkward," she groaned.  
  


"I didn't want you to feel as though you had to. I'd wait centuries if that made you more comfortable, darling. But please know, truly, that I do want you. I want all of you, sweet one."  
  


He leaned in closer, brushing her hair behind her ear so he could begin to kiss his way along her jawline. "I want that brilliant brain of yours," he whispered, "and that lovely sense of humor. Your kindness and compassion, your spirit of adventure, your constant curiosity. I want your lips pressed against mine, your hands in my hair, your legs around my waist. Oh, and those lovely little breathy moans you make when I do this," he nipped gently at her neck, eliciting the sound he'd described.  
  


"Do you like that, darling?" he whispered, barely grazing her earlobe with his teeth, then moving to repeat the path on her other side. "Tell me what you want."  
  


"You, Loki. I want YOU."  
  


"You have me, dearest. All of me. I'm right here."  
  


"You know what I mean, Loki. Take me to bed."  
  


"Not just yet," he grinned, a devilish look in his eyes. "Neither of us slept well last night. You have to work tomorrow, and I have a briefing in the morning. And I have every intention of taking my time with you, so you need to be well rested and completely relaxed."  
  


He kissed her again, slowly, sliding his hand up her thigh to where the hem of her skirt now rested, just barely running his thumb underneath it. "And when I do," he continued, "when I've made love to you so completely, so thoroughly that you're utterly ruined for any other man, so satisfied that you'll yearn for my touch for the rest of your days -- only then will I be sated."  
  


Something between a sigh and a moan came from deep within her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd wanted something this badly. Perhaps she never had. But before she knew what was happening, he'd stood up, pulling her with him almost at an almost dizzying speed.   
  


"But for now my darling, for one last time, I'm going to send you home wanting. Get some rest. I'll plan something very nice for Friday evening. Will you bring a bag and stay all night? I don't intend on leaving you with enough energy to walk home."  
  


She picked up her bag, wrinkling her nose and pouting a little for his benefit as she walked towards the door. She knew he was right, waiting until the end of the week would clear her mind and let her enjoy him without worrying about anything else. But the lack of blood in her brain - having all made its way southward earlier - still made some part of her instinctually want to take off her clothes and see what happened.   
  


As she reached for the door, he grabbed her - not too forcefully, but just enough to make a bolt of heat flood through her core - and spun her around so her back pressed against the door. He slid his knee between her thighs, opening her up to him, the evidence of his arousal pressed into her.   
  


"Do you have the slightest idea what you do to me, little one? The urges that strain at me every time you look at me with desire in your eyes. Have you any clue what I dream of doing your luscious body?"  
  


He ran his hand down to her thigh, pulling it up to him, bringing her so close that even fully clothed she felt his cock throb against her. He leaned in close, his voice deep and velvet soft, "To begin with I'm going to bury my face between your thighs and devour your sweet little cunt until your whole body is trembling. And then..." he trailed off.  
  


"And then?" she whispered.  
  


He lowered her leg slowly back to the floor, smoothed her skirt back over her thighs, and opened the door for her.  
  


"You'll find out soon enough, darling."  
  


As Anna walked home, cheeks slightly flushed and mind far off, a courier pulled up and made his way down the corridor until he found his destination. A petite, smiling woman opened the door.

  
“Ms. Maximoff?”

  
“That is me.”

  
He handed her a large white box tied with a bright red ribbon. She took it inside and pulled off the string, revealing pastries of all shapes and flavors. In the middle was a simple note in careful script: _Thank you._


	10. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A romantic evening

Loki insisted on picking her up Friday night rather than meeting her at the destination. "It's a surprise," he'd told her that morning on the phone, "and I want it to stay that way until we get there."  
  
"Not even a hint about what should I wear?"  
  
"Anything you like, I suppose. Shouldn't matter all that much."   
  
"Well what are you wearing?" she asked.  
  
"I just woke up and don't have anything scheduled until noon so not much of anything really."  
  
"You know that's not what I meant, Loki."  
  
"But it is so fun to tease you darling. I'll be wearing a suit tonight."  
  
"So somewhere fancy?"  
  
"No hints. Wear that dress you wore out to dinner the week before last, the one with the little lace bits on the shoulders. I've thought quite a lot about helping you take it off."  
  
"Loki!"  
  
"Just being honest, darling."  
  
He showed up that evening in an impeccably tailored black suit with a large picnic basket over one arm.  
  
"I've ordered a car," he explained, "they'll meet us at the main drive in 15 minutes."  
  
As they left her building and walked towards their destination, a woman waved from a distance. As she hurried towards them, Anna recognized her as one of the main team, Wanda Maximoff.   
  
"You must be Anna!" Wanda greeted her warmly. "Loki told me so much about you. May I hug you?" she asked, barely waiting for Anna's response before embracing her tightly.  
  
"Darling," explained Loki, "this is Wanda. She was of great help when I made that foolish mistake recently, and I'm forever in her debt for lending an ear. The first part of this evening's plans was also her idea."  
  
"I know a thing or two about crossing that line with my powers." Wanda smiled softly. "He really cares about you, _lapochka_. Will you have lunch with me sometime? From what Loki says I think we could become great friends."  
  
"I'd love that!"  
  
"Send me a message. But for now, I'll leave you two to your evening."  
  
"Lovely to meet you!" said Anna, almost certain she caught a wink as Wanda turned to leave.  
  
"How much does she know?" Anna asked Loki.  
  
"Only that I overstepped. She can also see into the mind, and was very empathetic. And you two really would be great friends, she is very kind," he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head.  
  
Anna continued pressing Loki for hints as their car arrived, but he refused to budge - even making her close her eyes a few minutes before their arrival.  
  
When, with his help, she stepped out of the car and opened her eyes, she was awestruck. They'd been dropped off in what seemed to be the largest garden she'd ever seen, with flowers of all sorts blooming in every direction.  
  
"Where ARE we?"  
  
"The botanical garden. They were kind enough to let us use a more private entrance so I could surprise you. There's a concert on the lawn in 15 minutes, and I've brought dinner. Then a private tour of nocturnal-blooming plants.  
  
"That is... just absurdly romantic," whispered Anna.  
  
"My goal."  
  
They walked down the path to the little amphitheater, where he put down a blanket and spread out the contents of the picnic basket - charcuterie, cheeses, smoked almonds, fresh fruit, and two tiny bottles of champagne.  
  
"Enough for a toast," he explained, "but no more. My plans for later this evening will be far more fun if we have all our wits about us."  
  
They talked and laughed, tasting the food as the orchestra arrived and started to play. The wind began to kick up and cool off a bit, and he offered her his suit jacket to wrap around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes to take in the mix of music in her ears mingling with the scent of flowers and... something else. Suddenly Anna took a deep breath and her expression changed. "Loki, honey? Did you check the weather before we left?"  
  
"Of course darling, it's supposed to be beautiful this evening. Is something wrong?"  
  
"It smells like rain," said Anna, "Like it's about to storm."  
  
"You smell rain?" asked Loki.  
  
"Something I learned growing up out in the country. Maybe we should put the food away, just for a little bit. Just in case?"  
  
They were just putting the last of dinner back in the basket when the first rumbles of thunder became audible over the music. Others in the crowd started to look up at the sky. Within a few minutes, the announcement was made that the concert would have to be rescheduled due to incoming thunderstorms.  
  
Loki helped Anna up, and was just picking up the basket and blanket when the heavens opened. There was no gradual start to the rain - only a torrential downpour, soaking them completely as they ran for the cover of the main building.


	11. A Night In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smut you were promised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here goes. I wrote and rewrote this chapter like 6 times, split it in two, and resisted the urge to bury it in soft peat for 3 months and recycle it as firelighters.

One very squishy, chilly, uncomfortable cab ride later, they were back in Loki's apartment. He'd been silent most of the way back, clearly frustrated at the loss of his carefully constructed plans for the evening.   
  
"So sorry, darling," he said as he handed her a towel. "This isn't at all what I had in mind for a romantic evening. Would you like to stay at least? Change into something dry, maybe watch a movie and open that champagne?"  
  
Anna groaned softly. "I left my overnight bag at my place. I was going to bring it along and completely forgot. I'll have to go home to change."  
  
"At least change into my dressing gown and stay until your clothes are dry, won't you?"  
  
"I like that idea," said Anna.  
  
He led her into his bedroom and handed her the bathrobe from a hook on the back of the door, then stepped into the bathroom for more towels. Anna looked around, suddenly feeling a bit of a blush creep up her face as she realized this was her first time seeing Loki's bedroom. The bed was huge, covered in pillows at the head, and topped with a luxurious looking deep green duvet. She heard him step back into the room, but didn't turn around.  
  
"Loki?"  
  
"Yes darling?"  
  
"Will you help me with my dress?"  
  
"Of course," he said as he stepped behind her, bending down to slowly dot her damp neck with kisses. "We need to get you warmed up." His hands ran down her sides to her hips and pulled her towards him, adding the slightest flick of his tongue against her bare skin as he did. Slowly he reached up and began to pull the pins out of her hair, letting wet strands drop down over her shoulders before he brushed them aside to continue kissing her. With utmost care he unclasped the top of her dress and began to tug the zipper down with one hand, dragging his fingertips over her bare skin as it was slowly revealed to him. He stopped briefly to run a finger along the lace trim of her bra, returning to kiss her neck as he did so. The dual sensations made her shiver.  
  
When he finally got the zipper all the way down, he slid his hands slowly back up to her shoulders under the fabric of her dress. "Do you need help with this bit as well? he asked, pushing the material a fraction of an inch off her shoulders.   
  
"Depends if you'd rather help or watch."  
  
He turned her around gently and closed the bedroom door, revealing a full-length mirror on the back side of the door.  
  
"Might I suggest both?"  
  
"Well aren't you clever," she smiled, leaning back to rest her head on his chest. He began to peel the wet dress away, inch by inch, touching as much of her bare skin as he could reach as he did.  
  
"I'm sorry the rain ruined your plans," she smiled, "but this is still unbelievably sexy."  
  
He chuckled, his voice an octave lower than usual, and brushed his fingertips down the sides of her now fully visible bra. The lace cups were somewhat sheer, and he could see the barest outline of her nipples. They slowly began to peak as he continued tracing his fingers along her skin, showing more prominently through the fabric. He flattened his palms and tucked his thumbs under her dress to continue gently tugging it down. As it passed the rounded curve of her hips and dropped to the floor, he noticed the panties, what little there was of them anyway, were equally as sheer. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him with a low growl, beginning to graze her skin with his teeth as he kissed his way up her neck and tilted her head back just enough to kiss her deeply before returning his attention to the sensitive spots on her neck and shoulders.  
  
She could feel him hardening, pressing into her from behind, and see his reflection holding her, kissing her almost wantonly; it made warmth flood from her core. Parting her legs slightly, she could see the wetness starting to seep through her panties and couldn't stop a soft, breathy moan from escaping her lips. She reached back, pressing her palm against his growing length. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror.  
  
"Mmmm," he purred, "do you like the feel of what your half-naked body does to me, darling? Would you like to see as well?"   
  
He dipped down to slip his arm under her knees and in one smooth motion picked her up and carried her to his bed. She giggled as he tossed her onto the pillows as if she weighed nothing and then removed his tie, tossing it aside before slowly removing his belt and shoes. He was about halfway through unbuttoning his shirt when her patience ran out.  
  
"Leave a little something for me honey, won't you?"  
  
"As you wish darling," he smiled, but rather than joining her on the bed, he dropped to his knees and gripped her calves, pulling her to him at the edge of the bed. He kissed his way up her thighs excruciatingly slowly. She could feel his breath, hot and heavy through her panties, and somehow, although she was already impossibly wet, she felt even more arousal start to pool at her lips.   
  
"Do you remember what I promised you, darling?" he asked, as his fingers curled under the waistband of her panties, nibbling at each inch of newly bared skin as he pulled them down and tossed them aside.   
  
She tried to make her voice sound calm and sexy, but was barely able to squeak out, "Yes, please!"  
  
He continued to kiss and nip at her softly, teasing his way towards the apex of her thighs. At long last the warmth of his tongue slid in a slow circle around her opening. She gasped, and he shifted to wrap his arms around her thighs and pull her even closer to him. He began to lap at her in long, lazy strokes, each one growing closer to the swollen little nub that ached for his attention. When his tongue finally brushed her clit, she couldn't contain a moan, and reached with both hands to grab his hair, still wet from the rain.   
  
"YES, Loki. There!"  
  
His tongue swirled around her in shapes and patterns that made her eyes roll back in her head. She gasped and moaned, edging towards release, but each time she grew close he would change directions, creating a different, magnificent sensation. Finally, she felt him shift his hand and begin to tease her opening, sliding two fingers just far enough inside her to reach some life-altering spot she'd never even encountered by herself.  
  
"LOKI!" A moan, all but a scream, of his name escaped her lips as she came, arching her back off the bed and tightening her grip on his hair. Her thighs trembled underneath his hands.   
  
He slowed the movements of his tongue but didn't stop until he felt the surge of her orgasm subside. Even with his fingers barely inside her it had felt incredible. He found himself throbbing at the thought of how it would feel around his cock. Slowly he made his way upwards, kissing her sweet, flushed skin until they were face-to-face again.   
  
"I don't know what's lovelier," he smiled devilishly, "the taste of your orgasm or the sound of you screaming my name."  
  
She grabbed him by the collar and brought him down to her, running her tongue along the glistening wetness that clung to his chin then kissing him, pulling him in close and crushing her lips to his, teasing his tongue with hers. Her hands were still trembling as she reached for the remaining buttons on his shirt. He leaned over her, resting his weight on one arm and cupping her face with his free hand.   
  
"Look at me, darling."  
  
Her eyes lifted slowly from the shirt buttons to meet his.   
  
He pulled away, just enough to remove the rest of his clothing. Even in the hazy afterglow of her orgasm, she smiled when she realized he wasn't wearing anything under his trousers. Once he was naked, he reached gently behind her to unclasp her bra, slowly pulling it off, leaving nothing more between the two of them. He shifted his full attention to her breasts and stroked one nipple slowly as he kissed the other, switching sides, adding a lick here, a nibble there.  
  
"Have you any idea what you do to me?" he whispered. "The sight of you laid out like a feast on my bed, the way you call my name, the taste of you... do you know, sweet one?"  
  
Never taking his eyes from hers, he guided her hand gently downwards until she felt his cock, hard and hot, the tip slick with desire.   
  
"You bring a god to his knees, begging to worship you. May I, Anna? May I give you all I have to give?"  
  
"Loki," she whispered softly, "Will you make love to me?"  
  
"With every fiber of my being, darling."  
  
He kissed her once more, and then pulled away again, this time leaning over to reach for a condom from the nightstand and roll it on carefully. Even then he didn't rush, running his hands gently over her legs as he maneuvered between them, taking in the sight of her whole body, bared to him.  
  
She could feel him throb, pressed against her but not quite pushing inside. He leaned down and kissed her slowly, deeply, savoring the last moments of fevered anticipation, then pulled away until he could look into her eyes.   
  
"Do I have your permission?" he whispered.  
  
No man had ever asked her before. And in that moment she realized he meant the question with his whole heart, that her body was hers alone to give rather than his to take, and suddenly she understood what it truly meant to be in the arms and the bed of a god.  
  
Her breath shook but her words were clear: "Yes, Loki, please."  
  
He never took his eyes from hers. His hips moved almost imperceptibly at first, pushing into her, then back out, going the slightest bit deeper with each movement, as if he wanted to memorize the depths of her body around his.   
  
When their hips finally met and he was as deep as he could be inside her, he lowered his lips to hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth as if to fill her with as much of himself as possible. She felt her cunt grip his cock tightly, another flood of wetness releasing around him, embracing him inside her. They found a slow rhythm, him rocking his hips into her, barely pulling out with each thrust, and her meeting him to create the most delicious friction. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes.  
  
_"I have lived,"_ he whispered, punctuating his words with the movement of his hips,  
  
_"over a thousand years.  
  
Watched empires rise  
  
and fall.  
  
Waged wars,  
  
conquered enemies.  
  
I have been broken  
  
to my very soul  
  
and rebuilt  
  
piece by  
  
piece."_   
  
His hand slid between their bodies, fingertips slowly finding her slick and swollen clit.  
  
_"But never  
  
have I found  
  
anything  
  
as marvelous  
  
as this,  
  
held so warmly,  
  
so sweetly  
  
inside you.  
  
You  
  
are  
  
divine_."  
  
The orgasm felt as if it started in the farthest reaches of her body, like a dam had broken and her entire being was flowing and rushing inward towards her core.   
  
To him, it was like being pulled into her, her inner walls holding his cock tightly, stroking it like nothing else could. She was so warm and so wet and so tight around him, it was difficult not to join her, but he wasn't finished with her yet. He held himself still inside her, kissing her as she drifted back down. She was trembling in his arms.  
  
"I've never... haven't done that... before."  
  
"Done what, darling?"  
  
"More than once."  
  
"Not even by yourself?"  
  
"Didn't think I could"  
  
"And what shall I do next to please you, my sweet one?"  
  
"Roll me over."  
  
He laughed. "And why's that?"  
  
It was as if suddenly the flecks of gold in her eyes turned molten and shone. "Because I want to mount you and ride you until I finish you. I want to see you lose control and call my name. I want to feel you come."  
  
He flipped around in one smooth motion, never pulling out of her. It took her a moment to find her balance resting her hands on his chest, but slowly she began to move. She thought of the patterns he'd drawn on her with his tongue and began tracing her hips in long, slow imitations, pleased with herself when one movement drew a small gasp from him. His hands started on her hips and snaked upwards, cupping and kneading her breasts, plucking her nipples softly at first, then as he saw her reaction, with increasing pressure. One hand dragged back down her belly and between her legs, his thumb finding her clit as she moved. This time it was her turn to gasp.  
  
The sensation began to build deep inside her again, more slowly this time, but unmistakable. Her eyes never left his, but the pace of her hips quickened.  
  
"That's it darling, let go. Come for me. Come with me, Anna, I'm going to..." he trailed off as he thrust up into her. Her orgasm crashed in waves, and she cried out for him. He roared, her orgasm triggering his own, and released into her in hot, heavy spurts.  
  
He pulled her down into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest as their breathing slowly returned to normal. She began to shiver as he rolled them over onto their sides pulled out of her, and he wrapped the blankets around them, still holding her close.  
  
"You are perfection, darling," he whispered. "I won't want for anything else the rest of my days, as long as I have you. Please stay the night?"  
  
"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried," smiled Anna. "My legs are Jell-O. Not leaving this bed for a long time."  
  
"They're what?"  
  
"I'll explain later," she said with a yawn.  
  
He held her like that until she fell asleep and her soft, steady breaths against his chest drew him into his own slumber. 


	12. The Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That sweet morning-after feeling

Anna woke slowly, the rain still tapping softly against the window. They'd shifted at some point to spoon, his arms wrapped around her snugly from behind. There was no way of telling how long they'd been asleep; it was still dark, but that could be from the rain as much as the time.  
  
As if he was thinking the same thing, Loki held her tighter and mumbled, "Mmmpf. Too early. Back to sleep."  
  
Anna was suddenly very much aware of the fact that they were still completely naked in each other’s arms. She'd stayed the night with boyfriends a few times before, but always with something on - an old t-shirt and panties at least, even after sex. There was something deeply intimate about it that made her feel almost shockingly at ease.   
  
Loki sighed, his breath warm against her neck. "Are you alright darling?" he asked, his voice still deep with sleep.  
  
"I was just thinking," replied Anna.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About how nice this feels. How comfortable."  
  
"Of course it's comfortable. You're all lovely and soft and warm," he said, running his hand slowly up from her hip to stroke one breast. "This bit is particularly soft." He lingered there for a bit, then worked his way slowly downwards, cupping her sex. "And this bit is very, very warm." The firm touch of his hand and the feel of his breath against her neck combined into the most delicious sensation between her thighs, and she let out a soft moan.   
  
"Oh my," he said, "is my sweet girl wanting me again so soon?"  
  
Anna rolled over to face him. She slid one hand underneath the blankets to his half-hard cock, stroking it slowly.  
  
"You did such wonderful things with your tongue last night," she said softly. "I think some reciprocation is in order."  
  
"You don't have to darling, if you don't want to."  
  
"I've wanted this for weeks," she said. "Would you like to know a secret?"  
  
"Hmmm?" he moaned softly.  
  
The night after we met, I had a dream about you. You commanded me to get on my knees and worship my prince." She felt him throb, growing in her hand. "I was kneeling to undress you when I woke up, all alone and so turned on. I couldn't help it, I just had to touch myself, and I came so hard thinking about it. But not as hard as I came from your mouth last night... or on your cock," she said, quickening the pace of her strokes.  
  
Loki let out a low moan. "Naughty girl, I didn't know you had such a filthy mouth."  
  
"Your silver tongue must be rubbing off on mine," she giggled mostly delighted in her mischief, but also a bit embarrassed that she actually told him about her wet dream, "now would you like to see what else my mouth can do?"  
  
"Mmmm...yes!" he practically growled.  
  
It was too dark to see him clearly, so she felt her way downwards with her mouth and fingertips, mapping out his body slowly underneath her. She kissed along the sparse trail of hair from his navel to his pelvis, making sure he could feel her breath on his cock as she continued to stroke it lightly. Adjusting her position slightly to get more comfortable, she ran her tongue as slowly as she could manage from the base of his cock to the tip, swirling around slowly before starting again at the base, repeating those long, slow licks until he was rock hard. She paused with her lips just brushing his tip; the rain had stopped, and just enough early morning light came through the window that she could make out his face, watching her intently, hungrily.  
  
Loki reached down, stroking her cheek gently as she began to take him into her mouth. She bobbed her head slowly, taking him in a bit at a time, letting her throat relax around him. Breathing slowly through her nose so she could hold him inside her longer, she moaned softly, creating soft vibrations that enveloped his cock and caused his grip on her to tighten as she slid him back out of her mouth.   
  
"Do I please you, my prince?" she asked, running her tongue slowly around the head of his cock, "Do I worship you well?"  
  
"You worship me masterfully, darling," he said, panting, but I won't be of much use at all if you continue like that."  
  
She kissed her way back up his chest, still stroking him lazily with one hand. "What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Taking you from behind so we can watch the sun rise together," he said, before kissing her slowly. "Seeing your body writhe under my touch in the morning light, making you moan my name as you come along with each new color of the sky... perhaps earning myself another precious hour or two of sleep before breakfast," he grinned as she burst into giggles at his tease.   
  
"We could just go back to sleep," she said, teasing him right back.  
  
"Oh be both know it's far too late for that, darling," he said, smiling as he rolled her onto her side and began running his hands over her naked body.  
  
The sunrise, as it turned out, made the sky change colors at least four times.


	13. Three Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna's research comes to fruition, and some very important words are exchanged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slight hiatus - I wrote and deleted this chapter twice before settling on a jump forward in time. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I'm afraid it'll never get posted if I don't just jump in and click the button.

It felt like half a lifetime ago Anna had begun her research for the Asgard Archive. In reality it had been just under a year, but her life had changed drastically over the course of it - particularly in the six months since her first meeting with Loki. Things were easy with him. They spent as much time together as their schedules would allow, but still kept their own lives and spaces. There had been no rush to progress their relationship past its current (and very pleasant) stage of knowing each other well enough for fantastic emotional and physical intimacy, nor any pressure from either one of them to progress to more serious commitments. She was his, and he was hers, and they were both happy as could be.  
  
Which was why tonight was making her so nervous.  
  
Anna took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Her hair was swept back at the temples and carefully rolled into a cascade of long curls that softly brushed her bare back, her dress revealing slightly more skin in that area than she was generally comfortable with, but the remaining ladies of Asgard assured her it was the height of their fashion. They had also given her bright smiles when detailing the significance of the green and gold fabric; wearing such a gown given to her by their prince in his own colors was a strong statement of just how serious his intentions were for her. Anna had largely taken it at the face value he'd given it - a congratulations on a job well done and thanks for helping to preserve the Asgardian culture, but their words still stayed in the back of her mind. She'd studied Asgard long enough to know there was was romantic (or even possessive) significance, which is why she hadn't questioned the dress being in Loki's colors instead of Thor's, but she couldn't help wondering if he'd meant more than just pride in having it made for her.

It hadn't taken long after the first night she'd stayed over with Loki for their relationship to become a fact of public knowledge, but still she had been shy at first, not wanting to seem as though she'd fallen for him as an antiquity to be studied rather than a man to be cared for. Once they'd been seen together enough and it was fairly common knowledge the prince was courting (as one of the ladies had put it earlier) "that darling little Midgardian from the Archive," Anna relaxed and began to enjoy being doted on a little. Much to their joint surprise, Thor had recently taken to calling her 'little sister' instead of 'Anna' or simply 'my lady.' It seemed clear to everyone else just where the relationship was going, but he never pressed or questioned her being a little gun-shy.  
  
Loki stepped into the bedroom, freshly showered, with a towel wrapped low around his hips.  
  
"If you're going to strut around like that," said Anna, trying to keep a serious tone, "we won't make it in time for dinner, let alone my presentation."  
  
"Threat or promise, darling?" he asked with a cheeky grin, stepping over to give her a quick kiss before enveloping himself in a green shimmer and reappearing in his ceremonial armor.  
  
"How about you promise me something fun to incentivize making it through this presentation without looking like a complete fool?"  
  
"You couldn't look a fool if you tried, Anna. You've done a great service by compiling all this, and you deserve the recognition."  
  
"I just... it's hard to describe. I don't want people to think it's favoritism. I know more than one person at the office thinks it, I saw their faces when my new position was announced."  
  
"You earned that, darling, what else could they think?"  
  
"That I'm having earth-shattering sex with one of the Asgardian princes and he helped influence the decision with his trickster god magic."  
  
"But I didn't."  
  
"You did not. And they should know that extra workload means less free time for me to spend with you, so it's really counterintuitive, but they still somehow make assumptions," Anna smiled as she leaned toward the mirror to put in her earrings. "Really, if I didn't love you so much, I'd think you'd be begging them not to give it to me so I sleep over more often."  
  
Loki's face changed very suddenly. "I’m sorry, would you repeat that?"  
  
"I was joking, dear, I know you'd never actually sabotage me."  
  
"No, darling, before that bit."  
  
"I said that if I didn't lo....oh," Anna said, letting her remaining earring drop to the dresser and turning to look at him.  
  
Loki's heart raced. He'd been wanting to tell her he loved her for months, but had held off, not wanting to push Anna into anything she wasn't ready for. He was careful to keep his face calm, trying not to show how eager he was for it to be more than just a slip.   
  
The words began pouring out of her. "It was the ladies who helped me get ready, they kept talking about how much it meant to be in your colors and the term 'betrothal' was thrown around and one mentioned the 'pitter-patter of little princes and princesses,' and it got me all out of sorts. I didn't mean for it to just pop out like that, and I don't want you to think I'm one of those women who has to have everything on a predetermined schedule and we're so happy, and..."  
  
Loki stepped toward her slowly, taking her hands in his. "You didn't mean to say it like that, but you did mean it?"  
  
"I did. I do," she said.  
  
"I love you, Anna."  
  
"I love you, Loki."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, not pulling away until they were both breathless.  
  
"I've wanted to say that for quite some time," he admitted, smiling broadly.  
  
"I didn't want to rush you."  
  
"Darling, I knew from the day I met you that I cared for you very deeply. There is no way you could rush me because I've known for quite a while now what my heart desires."  
  
Her heart was pounding so hard she could practically hear her own pulse. "And what is it your heart desires?" she whispered.  
  
Loki kissed her again, softly. "To make you happy, Anna. If you want everything to remain as it is, then it shall; if you're ready to take things further, then we'll do so together. I'm happy as long as I'm with you."  
  
"But what is it that you want, Loki? When you close your eyes and picture us a week from now, a month from now, a year, ten years, what do you see?"  
  
"To start with," he said, "I was thinking of putting a desk by the window in the living room."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"For your laptop and your research and all that," he explained. "so you could stay over more often... or... permanently, perhaps?"  
  
"You want me to move in with you?"  
  
"If you'd like to, then yes. I want that very much."  
  
Anna paused and took another deep breath. "Then I suppose," she began carefully, "we should discuss the logistics of that when we get home later this evening."  
  
"Afterwards" he smiled.  
  
"Yes, after my presentation," she said.  
  
"No," the smile on his face morphing into his most devious grin, "after we get back here from a successful evening and I thoroughly tell you and show you just how much I love every bit of you now that the words are out in the open. In our bed. Then, if you're still able to form a coherent sentence, which, frankly, I doubt you will, we shall discuss getting you moved in."  
  
The way he'd emphasized ' _our_ bed' caused warmth to begin spreading between her legs.  
  
"You did ask for an incentive to get through the evening, didn't you darling?"  
  
Anna shook her head to clear it and laughed, "Yes dear, but we still have to make it there without tearing each other’s' clothes off first."  
  
"And tomorrow we'll have a talk about those other ideas the Asgardians put in your head, pledges and pitter-patters and such. See where we stand on those things."  
  
"I'd like that." said Anna.   
  
They did, in fact, make it to the dinner on time, despite Loki's best efforts; he knew Anna's back was ticklish, and found every possible opportunity to brush his fingertips along the sensitive parts bared by her dress. Anna found it to be pleasantly distracting; all the nerves she'd feared at first had dissolved by the time she rose to speak about her research. She found herself focusing on Wanda in the crowd to avoid blushing at Loki, and her dear friend smiled with pride each time their eyes met. Loki had been right; she and Wanda had become fast friends after his introduction.

The final announcement of the evening was something she had found out just two days earlier but decided to leave as a surprise for Loki. With the rest of the research team gathered on stage, Anna invited Thor and Loki to join them as she revealed a partnership with the Smithsonian Institute to catalogue and preserve Asgardian artifacts, as well as a dedicated Asgardian wing at their museum in Washington, funded by a more than generous grant from the Stark Foundation. Anna had a good deal of difficulty seeing the crowd's reaction, because Thor had practically tackled her, scooping up in a tight embrace.  
  
"Thank you, little sister." he whispered.  
  
Anna pulled away from the hug and saw tears welling in his eyes as he turned to address the room.  
  
"We thank you, Dr. Steward, for your tireless work to preserve our culture after it came so close to destruction. Asgard is forever at your service."  
  
Anna turned to Loki, expecting an eyeroll at his brother's display of emotion, but instead his focus was entirely on her, with a wide smile. He stepped over and took her hand, kissing the back of it softly.  
  
"Mother would be so proud, darling," he whispered.


	14. Cohabitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle in domestically

Cohabitation suited Loki and Anna quite nicely. She hadn't been quite sure what to expect living with a prince, but it turned out he was a surprisingly fastidious housekeeper while simultaneously not at all bothered by her slightly cluttered nature - although she also had a hunch his magic might have played a role in keeping everything looking so tidy all the time. Loki took over much of the housework, while the kitchen and laundry became Anna's domains. Everything took on an almost oddly calm domestic routine, until one day she realized it wasn't odd at all - it was just what happy felt like.

The only real difficulty came from Loki's more long-term assignments. Most missions lasted no more than a day or two, but an occasional week or more away from home, especially when that often meant little or no communication for the sake of safety, became much harder. Loki had never really considered feeling homesick before, but suddenly his free moments were spent thinking of his partner and their home, of those little arguments here and there over silly things that always resulted in them making up quickly and going to bed early, getting very little rest as a result. He would sit and wonder what she wore that day, or what she was making herself for dinner.

It was after one of those missions, 10 days of bad food and sleeping on the floors of safehouses in the middle of nowhere doing reconnaissance for SHIELD on some pathetically slim intel from Romanov... intel that had turned out to be correct, but still magnificently dull and uncomfortable to execute. He crept into their quarters well after midnight, desperate for a shower and the warmth of Anna pressed up against him in their bed.

Loki froze when he saw her curled up sleeping on the couch. She was wearing one of his tunics, phone still in her hand. One of his dress uniform capes was draped over her legs like a blanket. He stepped over to her quietly, dropping to his knees so they were face to face

"I love you," he whispered softly in her ear.

She smiled, opening her eyes slowly. "I love you too. You're really home? Not a dream?"

"Not a dream darling."

Loki took her hands in his, kissing each of them slowly. She sighed softly, relief setting in.

"Marry me." he said softly.

"Was that a question or a royal decree?" she giggled, still a little sleepy.

"A most humble request, my love. All I could think of while I was away was coming home to you. I want to come home to my wife. I want to be our own little family."

"Just the two of us?" she asked.

"Until you're ready to make it three. Or four."

"Let's see how it goes with three once we get there," she laughed, "and then we can talk about making it four."

He kissed her slowly, shifting to lie down on the couch next to her. It was a tight fit, but he needed to touch as much of her as he could at once; his body ached with need for her warmth.

"I love the feel of you under my fingertips. I love the way you taste. I love the noise you make when I do this," he said, nipping at a particularly sensitive spot on her neck, making her gasp softly. There was a brief flash of green as he made their clothes vanish. She pressed her hips against him as he kissed her more deeply, teasing her tongue with his.

"I love it when you do that, too," he continued, slowly rolling her on top of him. "I love your brilliant mind and your marvelous sense of humor. I love the way you feel in my arms. I love the way you smile at me."

"I love you, Loki." she said softly, following as she slowly eased herself down onto him. "I love the way you fill me, the way you know just how to... ohhh..." her words trailed off into soft moans. After being apart for days, desire and pure physical need took over, bringing them both to a quick, intense crescendo.

"My husband," Anna whispered, pressing her forehead to his.

"My wife," he said softly. He stood up carefully, taking her with him, still inside her.

"Shower." he mumbled, carrying her into the bathroom and reaching to turn on the tap. Once they were under the spray of warm water, he gently lowered her, letting her find her footing. She leaned against him, feeling the firm spray against her back.

"I don't want a big royal wedding," she said, looking up at him slowly. "My family won't come. And I don't have that many people I'm close with here, other than Wanda, most of my friends from school are all over the place. Can we just do something small?"

"Whatever makes you happy, darling. I'll wake Thor and have him handfast us tonight if that's what you want. Or do you want something more traditional?"

"I'd like a handfasting, but maybe in a few weeks? Time to go shopping with Wanda, find a cake, maybe plan a proper honeymoon?"

"Now that I will have to insist upon. Somewhere lovely and secluded where no one can bother us. Or hear us." He smiled wickedly.

"Planning on getting to work on that third member of our family, are you?" she giggled.

He turned and pressed her back to the shower tile, grazing her earlobe with his teeth as he whispered, "Ready when you are, wife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I was stuck on this one for a while. Finally seem to have gotten back in the groove of things, so hopefully more updates soon. Thanks to anyone who's still sticking with me.


	15. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Wanda have a heart-to-heart, which leads Wanda to devise a wedding gift.

Anna sighed slightly louder than she meant to, causing Wanda to look up from her coffee, one eyebrow raised.   
  
"What's bothering you, honey?" asked Wanda.  
  
"It's nothing important really," replied Anna, staring a little too intently into the hot swirl of her own drink.  
  
"I don't need my powers to know when you aren't yourself, Anna. What's wrong?"  
  
Anna looked up, the tears she'd been struggling to hold back starting to pool in her eyes.   
  
"I always knew I'd have to do this without my family, but sometimes it's harder than I expected. Like at the dress shop when they asked if my mother would be joining us. What am I supposed to say? That she doesn't even know I'm getting married and wouldn't care if she did?"  
  
"Have thought about reaching out to them? I know you didn't part well, but it's such an important day and they're your family, certainly they'll be happy for you."  
  
"No, Wanda, they won't. Their love for me is entirely conditional, and I haven't met those conditions in a long time. Nana, my grandmother, was the last thing holding it all together."  
  
"Did she pass on?" asked Wanda, the concern growing in her face.  
  
"No, she has dementia. Can barely do anything on her own. They put her in a nursing home so they wouldn't have to deal with it."  
  
"Wouldn’t she be proud of you, honey? Wouldn’t she love you just the same?"  
  
"She would," Anna said softly, a smile beginning to tug at her lips. "She would walk right up to Loki and demand a kiss. He'd have her bright orange lipstick all over his face. Then she would give him some dubious advice about how to conceive a great-grandbaby as quickly as possible, and then not-so-quietly tell me to be gentle with him on the wedding night."  
  
"You take after her, then. I can tell."  
  
"I've always been a little more like that side of the family. My father converted to my mother's church to make her happy. He tried to get Nana to go, but she didn't want to leave the little church she attended with Pop when he was alive; it's where they were married, and the people there were so kind. The one my parents go to is a little more... fire and brimstone."  
  
"What does that mean?" asked Wanda.  
  
"They're very strict. Traditional gender roles. Women aren't allowed to do much in the church, and they aren't supposed to go to college or have jobs outside the home. They believe people like the Avengers... superheroes, people with abilities, especially the ones not from Earth, are dangerous. Evil even."  
  
"And Loki did not exactly make a good first impression."  
  
"No," said Anna, "and my parents would never for a moment see the good in him, no matter how long he works on the right side, no matter how he tries to atone for things that weren't even entirely under his control. And even if it weren't Loki, that's only the tip of the iceberg; they'd still think it was 'unnatural' if I was marrying Steve Rogers, it's that bad to them. They accused me of being possessed by a demon when I told them I was going away for school. Mama dragged me up in front of the whole church to have them pray for me."  
  
Wanda stood up and circled the table to wrap her arms around Anna.  
  
"We are your family now, sweetheart. You are my dear friend, and I love you so. The whole team absolutely adores you. Loki would cross the realms and pull stars from the sky just to see you smile. You will be a beautiful bride, and we will be everything you need."  
  
Later that evening, after walking Anna back to her place and declining Loki's very gracious offer to stay for dinner, Wanda hurried home and called on FRIDAY to pull up a personnel file for her. As she perused the information, she paused briefly to make sure a jet was free. She knew it was a bit iffy for her to use her clearance for information about her friend, but Anna hadn't mentioned Nana's first name and Wanda didn't have time to waste. As luck would have it, there was only one nursing home in Anna's hometown and a single resident there with the last name Steward.   
  
She pulled up her phone and quickly texted Loki.  
  
*Calling in the favor you owe me. Tell Anna it's an urgent mission. We're getting her a wedding gift."  
  
A few hours later they stepped from a quiet hallway into a small room where a tiny elderly woman with neatly curled hair and bright orange lipstick looked in the direction of the television but wasn’t paying much attention.

“Nana Steward?” Loki asked softly. The woman looked at him, straining to find any sort of recognition.

“Bobby, is that you? Your father is out right now but there’s some cake in the kitchen if you’d like it.”

“No, Nana,” he said, holding out his hand, “my name is Loki, and this is Wanda. We’re friends of Anna’s.”

She reached out, taking Loki’s hand, and Wanda put her hand on his shoulder. For just a moment, the room glowed in swirls of green and red, as if it were lit up for Christmas. Nana’s eyes began to focus more clearly on Loki.

‘My heavens, if I were a few years younger, I might be jealous of my own granddaughter. She must have inherited my taste in men.

Wanda was shocked to see a hint of a blush on Loki’s cheeks.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“Nanas always know,” she smiled.

“Anna and I are to be married next week, and she hasn’t told any of her family,” Wanda explained.

“Smart girl,” mused Nana. “They are not fond of folks such as yourselves, no offense. As such, I would not miss it for the world, so how do you plan on getting me to that wedding?”

Loki and Wanda smiled at each other and sat down with Nana, and together they began to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be real blunt about this... this and the next chapter contain pretty much nothing but self-indulgence. Writing again has been very therapeutic for me, and part of why I took so long to update recently was fretting over whether or not I should keep this bit in. If you're here for the naughty bits and not the feels, there will be some of those in upcoming chapters, promise.


	16. A Rare and Precious Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Wanda's surprise for Anna arrives just in time for the wedding

It was late in the afternoon on the day of the wedding. Wanda had stepped away to retrieve something from her quarters and Anna was still in her bathrobe just starting on her makeup when there was a soft knock at the door. When she opened it, there was no one to be seen, but an envelope was waiting on the ground. Inside, in Loki's scrawling script, it read:  
  
 _Darling Anna,  
  
I wish I could take full credit for the gift that’s about to arrive, but it was Wanda's idea and only possible through a joint effort. Please know that even with our powers combined, this will only be possible for a short time. As much as I hate to admit, I do have my limitations. You are so, so loved, my darling wife.  
  
Yours always, Loki_  
  
Anna sat back in her chair, re-reading the letter quizzically, when the door opened slowly, and Wanda returned. But she wasn't alone. Suddenly Anna was very glad she was sitting down.  
  
"Hello, my little sweetie-bug!"  
  
In her best outfit, with a dozen gaudy costume jewelry brooches sparkling on her jacket, and her favorite bright orange lipstick perfectly applied, was Nana.   
  
Anna felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her.  
  
Wanda carefully pushed Nana's wheelchair, unable to hide her pride at pulling off such a surprise.  
  
"How?" Anna whispered.  
  
"Miss Wanda here and that handsome man of yours came to visit last week and we worked it out so I could come to your wedding. That man must have a trick or two up his sleeve, he said no one will even know I'm gone! And you bet your behind I needed a vacation from that place," said Nana.  
  
"What about Mama and Daddy, you didn't tell them, did you?"  
  
"They wouldn't believe me if I had!" laughed Nana. "They only visit every other Sunday after church anyway, and your mother never stops going on about that hogwash they preach. They think just because my mind is going that I don't mind listening, but believe me, I love your parents so much but that darn church has made them forget about what's most important."  
  
"Family," they said in unison, Anna bending down to embrace her grandmother tightly.   
  
Nana took Anna's face in her hands and held her close.  
  
"Blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb, Anna Eloise. When I'm gone, and I know that won't be very far down the road, your family will be the ones who fight for your happiness and safety. Like Wanda here. And your husband. And his brother. My older sister left after high school and never looked back. It took me a long time to understand why, but the choices we make are ours, and I know why you had to go. This life was here waiting for you."  
  
"How did you know he has a brother?" asked Anna.  
  
"Lucky guess. Is he single?"  
  
Anna laughed so hard that Wanda had to help her back up.   
  
"It's temporary," said Wanda. "There's only so much we can do to free her mind, even with my power and Loki's combined."  
  
Anna began to tremble. "It is the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me."  
  
Wanda helped Anna settle back in and get her makeup and hair taken care of, letting Nana assist where she could. When it was time for Anna to step into her dress, she knelt so Nana could help with the zipper. Together they looked at Anna in the mirror. Her dress was cream-colored lace, with sleeves down to her elbows and a slight train; it made her look like something from the golden age of Hollywood. Her hair fell in its natural waves, adorned with a delicate gold circlet Thor had gifted her for the ceremony. On her feet were emerald green velvet kitten heels that just barely peeked out beneath the hemline of her gown. After a final check that they had everything they needed, the three women walked together, smiling and laughing, to the car waiting for them outside.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next comes the wedding, then the wedding night. Hold on to your butts...


	17. They Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding and a visit from an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so fluffy, I could die.

Loki had offered to plan the ceremony, hoping to take some of the stress from Anna. The location had been a surprise, but one he knew without a doubt Anna would love. They were just a few blocks from their destination when she began to suspect where they were headed. Sure enough, the car pulled up in front of the museum where Anna and Loki had spent their first date.   
  
Loki was waiting with Thor and a few of the remaining Asgardian elders in the sculpture garden. Dozens of candles flickered in the early evening shadows, mingling with the glow of the fireflies that were beginning to drift about. Anna had requested to skip the traditional flowers and music, and the ambient sounds in the garden - a light breeze, a birdsong here and there - made it even more peaceful than usual.

There was no processional, just Wanda carefully pushing Nana’s chair and Anna following not far behind. When her eyes met Loki's, they both smiled broadly, and when at last they were within arm's reach of each other, Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and rose onto her tiptoes to kiss him.   
  
"Atta girl!" said Nana.  
  
"Thank you," Anna whispered to Loki.  
  
Thor kept his words brief, and when it was time for their hands to be tied, he tore a piece from the hem of his own cloak.  
  
"Simple though it may be," he explained, "this is still a royal wedding. By binding you to my brother, I bring you into the kingdom of Asgard as our princess, as one of our own, and I vow to protect, uphold, and support your union as your brother and your king."  
  
After they were bound, Loki turned to Anna.  
  
"It is traditional for the groom to have a sword forged for the bride, but I thought this might be a bit more appropriate." He reached in his breast pocket and handed her his gift - a mother of pearl fountain pen inlaid with gold. "Your mind is your power darling, and your words your weapons. You've fought tirelessly to preserve histories which might otherwise have been lost. When the time comes, Valhalla will welcome you to feast with those whose stories you've told."

There was a slight sniffle, and Anna turned to see Thor’s eyes were as glistening her own.

“It is my pleasure,” said Thor, with only the slightest wobble in his voice, “to present to you the prince and princess of Asgard, Loki and Anna.”

Loki pulled Anna in for a long, slow kiss, the kind that made her seem to almost melt softly against his body. The elders clapped softly and graciously, while Wanda and Nana cheered loudly, but neither Loki nor Anna noticed – in that moment, they were all that existed to each other.

With the ceremony complete, the few attendees gave their love to the newlyweds and began to depart. After several tearful minutes with Anna and a few last words whispered privately to Loki, Nana departed in the care of Wanda and Thor to head back to the nursing home.

Once again, just like the first evening they’d spent there together, Loki and Anna found themselves alone in the sculpture garden, sitting on the same bench. This time they held each other quietly until the candles began to burn themselves out.

“Loki?” Anna asked softly.

“Yes, my love?”

“What was it that Nana said to you before she left?”

“That the secret to a happy marriage is honesty, and the secret to a good wedding night is a hot bath together before bed.”

“That sounds incredible actually.”

Loki stood, and with a wave of his hand cleaned up the candles and their drippings. He helped Anna up, and on their way out they stopped to thank the security guard who had remained after hours with them, an elderly gentleman with a mustache and thick glasses.

“No problem at all, kids,” said the guard, “I remember the first time I saw you here together, and I can’t say I’m surprised to see you back again. I still look at my wife Joan like that and we’ve been married over 50 years. Love like that is a rare thing. You take good care of each other.”

Knowing he probably wouldn’t accept it, Loki smiled, and a small envelope with an absurdly large tip found its way into the guard’s back pocket.

Hand in hand, Loki and Anna walked out of the garden and out into the street to the car waiting to take them back home as husband and wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, through a serious chunk of fluff now. Onward to some steamy bits!


	18. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little freaky on the wedding night (ba dum tss)

As always, Nana's advice proved to be the best possible choice. Loki handed Anna two champagne flutes as he lowered himself into the bathtub behind her. 

"To my wife," he said, taking back his glass and clinking it softly against hers.

"And my husband," Anna smiled, leaning back against his chest. They drank and soaked, enjoying the rare peace. There were benefits to marrying a member of the team; Stark had gifted them the use of a secluded but thoroughly-amenitied cabin upstate for two weeks and ensured both of their schedules were completely cleared. They would take one of the jets in the morning, but for now, there was nothing but the occasional soft slosh of water, and the feel of their bodies pressed together. 

Loki wasn't sure he'd ever seen Anna so relaxed. Happy - yes. Content - yes. But pure, unadulterated relaxation was a rarity for her. He kissed her temple as he leaned forward to refill her glass, and suddenly Anna chuckled softly.

"Yes, love?" Loki asked.

"In the youth ministry I attended as a teenager, we had lessons on purity. One of the things they said was 'if you have sex before marriage, your wedding night won't be special anymore," explained Anna.

"That's rather harsh," said Loki. 

"It is, in retrospect. Our first time together was spectacular, but that doesn't make what we're doing right now any less amazing."

"Very true," agreed Loki, "and while that first has passed, there are many firsts still ahead of us."

"Any of those you'd like to suggest for our honeymoon?" she asked playfully. 

"We're going to be quite a ways from civilization, so I thought outdoors might be fun," he suggested. A little shiver ran down Anna's spine at the thought of being so exposed. Loki noticed and put both their glasses down so he could wrap his arms around her more tightly.

"I've never used my powers in bed with you, either. A perspective incantation might be a bit of fun," he whispered in her ear, lips barely grazing her flesh. "would you indulge me for a moment?"

"Sure," said Anna, the champagne just enough to loosen her inhibitions.

"Close your eyes," Loki said, settling his hands just over her shoulders. "It might make you dizzy for a moment." She felt warmth coming from his hands, and felt a slight wave of vertigo that was gone as quickly as it had come. 

"Open your eyes, darling," came a whisper - from in front of her rather than behind. Anna opened her eyes to see... herself. Smiling broadly. Confused, she looked down and suddenly realized what he'd done. She was in Loki's body, and he was in hers. 

"How long does it last?" Anna asked, jumping slightly at the sound of Loki's voice coming out when she spoke.

"Just a few minutes, unless I change us back sooner. I can if you're uncomfortable." Loki explained, in Anna's own voice.

"It's strange, but not uncomfortable."

"In that case," said Loki, turning Anna's body all the way around so they were facing each other, "how would you like to experience things from my perspective?" 

They kissed, slowly at first, letting their hands explore each other. It was a familiar and yet somehow entirely new landscape. The building sensation of arousal was unlike anything Anna had ever experienced. She reached out, feeling her own body as an outsider - the soft swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips. Anna was often critical of the little imperfections in her own appearance, but suddenly understood Loki's unwavering appreciation for her body. 

"It's not just the switch," Anna said breathlessly. "I feel your emotions too, your instincts."

"Perspective," said Loki, trailing Anna's hands down his body and beginning long, slow strokes of his increasingly stiff cock. Anna moaned loadly at the sensation, leaning back and letting Loki's head rest on the back of the tub as he sped up her hands, tightening and releasing them with each stroke. Orgasm came quickly, making his whole body shudder as Anna experienced the entirely new sensation, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

Slowly vertigo enveloped her again, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in her own body, looking at her very satisfied husband. She leaned forward and kissed him slowly. 

"That was definitely a first," she giggled as she pulled away.

"Yes," Loki agreed, "and there will be many of them to come."


	19. Moonlight Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important conversation happens on the honeymoon

Nearly a week into their honeymoon, Anna and Loki laid together in the hammock strung just off the porch of the cabin, swaying softly in the evening breeze as the last colors of the sunset faded to reveal a blanket of stars. The time together had been wonderful so far, a sharp contrast from when their regular schedules kept them so busy that occasionally they spent more of their time together asleep than awake.

Anna sighed contentedly and held her husband a little tighter, pressing her forehead into his chest.

"Happy, darling?" he asked.

"This is perfection."

"I'll have to see if I can persuade Stark to let us visit more often," he smiled.

His hand drifted downward, trailing his fingertips along her hip and thigh, which made her press into him even more tightly. 

"Loki?" she asked softly.

"Yes, love?"

"Would you..." she paused, as if not quite sure how to finish. "I mean, I'd like to..." another pause, her brow wrinkled in thought.

"Anna, at this point there's very little you could say that would phase me."

She took a deep breath. "It's just that getting to spend time with Nana brought up some feelings. She told me to build a family of my own, not just biologically, but..."

Loki tried his best to keep his expression neutral. "Has it made you think about the biological regardless?" he asked.

"Yes. You don't have to say anything now, you can think about it, or if it's not something you want right now, we can wait," she said quickly.

"Will you promise it's not just because of the wedding and Nana and all the changes happening?" he asked. "I don't mean to question you, but I want to make sure it's not just because you feel pressured to start a family."

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while. We both had kind of messed up childhoods, but I think maybe we could learn from that and be better parents."

"In that case, I couldn't be more thrilled at the thought of a family of our own," he said, finally letting out the smile he had been holding back. 

"Do you think we'll have any difficulty," she asked, "since we aren't technically from the same planet?"

"Only way to find out is to try, I suppose. What about the contraceptive you use?"

"I'll make an appointment to take out my implant when we get back. Just kind of let nature take its course, I guess that's what I'm saying. I want to try, but I don't want to make a big deal of it, I don't think pressure would help. "

"I think that's a marvelous idea," said Loki. He began slowly dragging the soft cotton of her sundress upwards to reveal more of her leg. "Perhaps in the meantime we could do with a practice run. Just to keep in tip-top shape, obviously."

Anna giggled. "Practice makes perfect."

"We've already had a good start, but I think we should commit to practicing at least twice daily while we're here," he said, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "perhaps even thrice."

Loki began to get up, but she stopped him.

"I believe you mentioned something on our wedding night about enjoying the outdoors," she said, and then very carefully, so as not to overturn the hammock and end up a tangled mess on the ground, she lifted herself on top of him, leaning down for a kiss as they swayed gently. His hands ran up her thighs, and he was pleased to find nothing at all under her sundress. Their kiss deepened as he continued exploring under her dress - it was familiar territory by now, but he would never tire of the way her flesh felt under his fingertips, so soft and warm and welcoming. 

She rocked gently against him, feeling his arousal grow underneath her. Slowly she reached up and began to slide the straps of her sundress off her shoulders, watching as her husband's gaze followed them down. He leaned up and began to brush light kisses across the tops of her breasts as the material lowered to reveal more and more of them. A light breeze blew, peaking her nipples as they were revealed to him. He leaned back again, smiling in appreciation. 

"Each time you take your clothes off is even better than the last," he mused, brushing the pad of his thumb across a nipple, making it grow even more achingly stiff. "How lovely you'll look with our child growing in you, belly round and breasts heavy."

Anna could feel herself getting wet to the point of dripping at his words, something deep and carnal inside her fiercely aroused at the thought of creating new life with someone with whom she shared such a powerful connection.

Loki pulled her in close, purring in her ear, "I can feel you, little wife of mine, soaking through my trousers. Are you aroused by the power contained within your beautiful body? You swear you're mortal, yet just the thought of being held inside your warm, wet little cunt is enough to bring this god to his knees."

She reached down to free his cock, realizing he hadn't been exaggerating in the slightest; the fabric of his pants was soaked through. Wasting no time, she lowered herself onto him, relishing every sensation as her slick heat relaxed and welcomed him inside her. 

One of his hands found its way between them and began stroking her clit gently, pulling a low moan from her throat. He felt her body begin to flutter around his, and lightened his touch, letting her drift back from the edge. 

"Loki," she whined.

"Yes, Princess?" he said, teasing her with her title rather than a pet name.

"Please?"

He increased the pressure of his fingertips again, never taking his eyes from hers as her climax began to build again. This time he held his fingers in place as he felt her orgasm approach, pushing her steadily over the edge. 

Anna's eyes rolled back into her head as she reached her peak, and Loki caught her as she lost her balance and fell forward onto him. He held her tightly to his chest and thrust up as deeply as he could inside her, feeling each ebb and flow of her release.

He stroked her back gently as she came down, running his fingers up and down the length of her spine. Anna's hips were the first part of her to begin moving again, in a slow figure-eight pattern. She looked up at Loki with a satisfied smile, then began to kiss her way down his neck, looking for a particular weak spot she knew of.

"Do you know how incredible you are?" he asked, his voice breathier with each touch of his wife's lips to his neck. "If we have a child or a houseful or none at all, every moment I have with you is bliss."

At last she landed on the spot she'd been looking for, and Loki let out a low moan. She began rocking her hips harder, pushing them both to the edge. Loki's hands gripped her thighs as Anna tightened around him and came, pulling him into his own climax.

They laid together for a long time afterwards, not quite asleep, as the cool breeze brushed away the heat from their coupling, well-satisfied in the present and looking forward to what the future might bring.


	20. It buzzes for thee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna gets a phone call she'd rather not

It was late on a Tuesday evening nearly a year later when Anna's phone began to buzz. It hadn't been a particularly strenuous day at the office, but she was exhausted nonetheless, and after dinner Loki had insisted she stretch out on the couch with her legs over his lap so she could relax while they watched a movie. His hand was stroking up and down her calf slowly, just enough to make her feel warm and happy and fully aware that all she needed to do was guide his hand a little upwards, if she were so inclined, but that he wouldn't press any further without her direction. 

She was just about to direct him a bit higher when her phone interrupted them. The number displayed on the screen was not one she had saved in her contacts, because she didn't need to. She'd learned the order of those digits even before she knew all her ABCs - the number of the single corded phone attached to the kitchen wall in her childhood home. 

Anna was suddenly frozen, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Are you alright, darling?" Loki asked.

"It's my parents calling," Anna replied, staring at the phone as if it might nip her if she reached for it.

In almost two years of knowing her, Loki had never seen or heard Anna speak to her family, other than Nana. From the little he had gleaned from Anna in that time, and Nana's advice during their brief but memorable time together, Loki knew the last parting had not been a kind one. 

Anna watched as the phone stopped ringing, and waited patiently to see if a voicemail notification popped up. Instead, the phone began to ring again immediately. 

"Are you... are you going to answer it?" asked Loki.

Anna nodded, and reached for the phone slowly. By the time she touched it, the buzzing had once again ceased. She assumed, correctly, that it would come to life again in a few seconds. Carefully she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call, pushing the button for speakerphone. She paused briefly, holding a finger to her lips and glancing at Loki, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hello?" said Anna.

"I see you finally swallowed your pride enough to answer your mother's phone calls, how generous of you," came the voice from the other end. Loki found it oddly similar to Anna's, although a little deeper and much sharper in its tone. 

"I'm sorry, Mama, it took me a minute to get to my phone," Anna explained.

"Well maybe if you cared a little more about your family and a little less about whatever sins you're enjoying up in the big city, you could get to the phone a little faster."

"Sorry, Mama," Anna repeated again, more quietly. Loki saw how her shoulders began to slump, and moved his hand reassuringly to her back.

"Well it's not like you even care, but Nana went to be with Jesus this morning."

Anna paled, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Loki was confused by the term, but his wife's reaction was enough to figure it out quickly.

"The visitation and service will be Friday evening," her mother continued, "if you can even be bothered to put your own life on hold to come pay respects to your grandmother, after everything she did for you."

Anna glanced up at Loki, who was glaring at the phone as if his silent anger could be conveyed through sheer willpower. He turned his gaze to Anna and nodded solemnly.

"We'll be there," said Anna.

"What on God's green earth do you mean by 'we,' Anna Eloise? Do you have fleas? Because this sure isn't some barbecue you're inviting all your big city friends to, it's your grandmother's funeral."

"I will be there," said Anna, pausing for a deep breath, "along with my husband."

There was dead silence on the line for a few very long seconds. Loki wrapped his arms around Anna, who has begun to tremble. 

"The service begins at 10am, be there at 9:30, and remember we will be in a house of worship so you'll need to dress respectably, not like some cheap hooker," her mother finished quickly. "Understand?"

"Yes, Mama," said Anna, "I understand."

The call ended with a quiet beep. Loki pulled Anna into his lap and cradled her as she let the tears come. 

"I..." Anna choked on a sob, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for, my love?" Loki asked quietly.

"It won't...be easy...with them."

"The only thing in my centuries of existence that's ever been easy was falling in love with you, my darling." 

Loki held her, rocking her gently, until her tears slowed and her breathing calmed. 

"I'll handle everything in the morning," said Loki. "Our schedules, travel, all of it. Would you like me to ask Wanda over for breakfast to keep you company while I take care of it?" 

Anna nodded.

"Would a nice bath help?"

Anna wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"What about heading to bed so I can hold you close and rub your back until you fall asleep?"

"Yes please," said Anna, resting her head against his shoulder. 

He tightened his grip on her and stood up slowly, holding her close for a few moments before lowering her gently to the floor. Anna stepped into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, and when she was finished, Loki had already turned down the bed and gotten out one of her favorite sleep shirts - an old tunic of his, faded green linen that was nearly threadbare in places. She usually only wore it when he was away on missions, and he hoped it would bring her some extra comfort. He had also managed to get in touch with Wanda and request their schedules be cleared for the rest of the week, leaving nothing for Anna to do but rest.

They curled up amongst the pillows and blankets and talked, until Loki began to notice her grip on him relaxing and her eyelids beginning to close for longer and longer each time her lashes fluttered. Still he held her as close to him as he could, stroking her abdomen gently until he followed her into a deep sleep, his hand still resting gently on her stomach.


	21. Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some tender moments between Loki and Anna before they have to face the sadness to come.

Anna woke gradually, in a bit of a fog. Her dreams had not been pleasant. Old memories dredged up and mixed together, making a part of her deep inside ache even after she realized it had only been her dreams. 

What brought her firmly to reality was the feel of her husband's breath, gentle and warm against her bare thigh. She looked down to see him smiling up at her.

"Hello darling," said Loki.

"Well hello, husband. That's a pleasant sight first thing in the morning."

Loki chuckled. "I didn't want to start anything and make you feel uncomfortable, but I thought perhaps a difficult night might be tempered with a good start to the morning."

"And what did you have in mind, my silvertongued love?" teased Anna.

He smiled mischievously and nuzzled her inner thigh, brushing soft kisses slowly towards her center. Normally she would be impatient with his teasing, but this morning she was happy to let the oxytocin and dopamine do their work as long as possible. His tongue moved achingly slowly, dipping gently into her, then lapping at her slick arousal. Lips and tongue worked together as he moved to envelop her clit, swirling to reach as much of he could of the delicate spot as his fingers began to dip inside her. Soft moans vibrated through his lips and right into every nerve ending, finally pushing her over the edge. He slowed, but didn't stop, bringing her gently back down and then slowly building up again over and over.

Loki showed no signs of stopping until he felt Anna's hand softly brush his cheek. He looked up at his wife, flushed and smiling.

"Enough?" he asked.

"Never," she sighed. "I want you inside me "

His kissed up her body slowly, pulling the tunic up and off as he went, before settling in between her thighs and pushing slowly inside. She had been close to another orgasm when she stopped him, and was hot and slick and tight around his cock, a deep moan escaping her as he filled her. 

"I love you, Anna" whispered Loki. "I love you so much."

"I love you, Loki," whispered Anna.

His strokes were long and languid, and his mouth roamed everywhere it could reach, hands trailing delicately over her breasts and the sensitive skin down her sides. It was as if she was wrapped up in him, filled with him, and as she climaxed again his fingers intertwined tightly with hers.

He turned her gently to her side, laying down behind her and pulling her close as he entered her again, lavishing attention on the sensitive spots he knew would make her cry out - the back of her neck and shoulders, and the sensitive skin along the side of her back. He'd stumbled upon that spot by surprise the first time he'd taken her from behind, and had used that knowledge as often as he could from then on. As one hand teased her there, the other wrapped around between her legs and teased her in another way, bringing her very quickly to another orgasm. This one was stronger than the first two, and the pulsing heat of her climax brought his own, his moans in her ear making her body grip him even more tightly.

They laid quietly, still joined, content at the closeness and exhaustion. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked after some time.

"Not the best," said Anna quietly. "She lived a good, long life, and her mind is free again, but that doesn't make it ache any less. Some part of me hoped they might hate me enough to not even tell me when it happened."

"Ignorance is not always bliss, darling," Loki said softly, leaning to kiss her shoulder. "Would you like me to make some coffee or have I worn you out enough for a bit more sleep?"

She sighed, leaning her head back against him. Before she could answer, a soft chime from FRIDAY indicated a high priority message.

"Yes, FRIDAY?"

"Dr. Steward, Miss Maximoff has asked me to let you know that she will be here in approximately 30 minutes with breakfast, so please make sure your husband is fully clothed," FRIDAY said cheerfully.

Loki rolled his eyes. "She will never let me live that down, will she? One time! Just the one! It's not my fault she came traipsing in unannounced!"

Anna laughed, kissing her husband before rolling slowly out of bed to head for the shower and contemplate how she would face the day ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this doesn't seem too out-of-place given the last chapter. I've always been one to find intimacy with my partner crucial in processing my emotions during trying times, not the least of all because of the happy chemicals it helps release in my brain. There some angst coming up, and then some fluff. We'll see where it goes from there. If you're still sticking with me after 20+ chapters, I appreciate you more than you could imagine.


	22. Dresses and Suits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing for travel presents some complications, laughter, and a few tears.

The afternoon before the funeral, Anna stood in front of her open closet, brow furrowed. Nothing she tried on seemed quite right.

Her breasts had never been easy to hide, even under the very modest clothing she wore growing up, and today they seemed to create cleavage in even the most conservative of dresses she owned. Probably PMS, Anna thought to herself, of course that's here to compound the stress. She'd been irregular since she had her implant taken out, and after a couple of late periods and disappointing home pregnancy tests, she had stopped bothering to keep track.

"What about that navy dress?" asked Wanda, "You look very demure in that."

"It can't be navy," sighed Anna, "only black. I'll never hear the end of it from my mother if I'm not wearing all black. My uncle once wore navy socks with his black funeral suit on accident and I would bet you anything she'll remind him about it at least once tomorrow."

"What was wrong with your black dress again? The one you wore when we went to the symphony last month?"

"Too short," Anna replied. 

"It comes to your knees!"

"Anything shorter than mid-calf and she will tell me I look like a hooker."

"And one of your work suits with pants?" asked Wanda, wrinkling her nose at the thought of anyone demeaning her friend that way.

"Women are expected to wear skirts. Pants..." Anna trailed off, trying to think of a way to explain it kindly. "Pants show too much of the shape of a woman's curves. They're just not acceptable." she finished.

"In that case," Wanda mused, "perhaps you should start pulling from Loki's side of the closet. We can sew a few of his capes together and that will cover you from neck to toes."

Anna laughed, but then trailed off and Wanda saw tears start to well in her eyes. 

"Oh lapochka come here!" said Wanda, pulling Anna in for a long hug. 

Loki wandered in from the kitchen where he'd been preparing dinner, leaning against the doorframe.

"Could I be of some assistance, darling?" he asked.

Anna wiped her eyes and sighed. "Not unless you know some birds and mice who can make me a new dress in time to fly out tomorrow morning. We'll need to go shopping after we eat."

"No small creatures nor shopping trips will be needed," said Loki. "Go try on the black dress again. I can make some temporary modifications."

When Anna returned in the dress, Loki stepped behind her, taking in her reflection in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands gently on her stomach. The dress was bathed in a green shimmer for a moment, and was suddenly longer, just brushing her ankles. He'd also relaxed the fabric ever so slightly around her breasts, which she hadn't noticed was bothering her until it suddenly wasn't anymore. 

"Better, love?" he asked.

"That will work, thank you," said Anna.

"And what about your husband?" Wanda asked. "Will his standard black suit meet their strict expectations?"

Anna bit her lip nervously and looked at Loki. "The suit will do fine, but I'm sorry for any comments they make about your hair."

"What in the nine realms is wrong with my hair?"

"They are not big fans of long hair on men. But they also aren't big fans of Avengers, so I'm afraid it's not going to matter much anyway."

Loki rolled his eyes, took a few steps back from Anna, and in a flash of green seidr altered his appearance to just shy of recognizable. His emerald eyes became a pale blue, long black hair transformed into close-cropped ginger curls. He put his hand out to a flabbergasted Anna as if to introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Tom. Lovely to meet you, terribly sorry about the circumstances."

Wanda was the first to break into laughter, sliding off the edge of the bed as she struggled to catch her breath. Anna laughed harder than she had in days, the tears in the corner of her eyes finally glistening with something other than grief. Loki reached out to wrap his arms around her and steady her, but she squealed and lunged for Wanda.

"Excuse me, sir, I am a married woman!"

"Oh come on now," he teased, "I don't see that husband of yours anywhere around here. Come on, give us a kiss before he gets back!"

Anna and Wands sat tangled together on the floor in fresh peals of laughter as Loki morphed back into his normal self. He held a hand out to each of them, helping them back to their feet. 

"Dinner?" he asked.

"Dinner." they agreed in unison.

Anna held back a few steps behind as her husband and best friend made their way into the kitchen. Her attempts to start a family with Loki hadn't brought any success, but she had a family that loved her here unlike anything she thought she could have. Nana's words about building a family rolled around in her head, and Anna wondered if, where wherever Nana was, she could see how surrounded by love Anna felt in that moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't actually planning on this chapter, but some recent circumstances inspired it as a tribute to a dear friend, low-maintenance houseguest, reader/constant encourager of my writing, and part of my 'ohana for almost a decade. Love you.


	23. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nana's funeral goes about as well as you would expect

Loki sat in the seat opposite his wife rather than next to her, pulling her legs into his lap and pressing his thumbs deep into the arches of her feet in a way he knew would help with her anxiety. She put up a good front, but the god of lies had no question that beneath the surface, Anna was a bundle of nerves. He'd tried desperately to get her to eat something before the flight, but even a piece of dry toast had seemed too rich, and instead she had opted for just a cup of ice after takeoff, sucking slowly on each piece until it dwindled enough to create a delicate crunch between her teeth.

"What should I prepare for, other than comments about my hair and occupation?" asked Loki. "I've done my best never to pry, but now might be the time to share anything that could help."

Anna sighed softly. "My brother Bobby is two years younger than me," she began. "The last time I spoke to my family was when Mama called to tell me he'd gotten his girlfriend Jennie pregnant. That was almost four years ago. They... they wanted me to move back home and say the baby was mine. Jennie was only 17, and her parents were threatening to get Bobby arrested for statutory if he didn't marry her. He was planning on breaking up with her when she found out about the baby and he didn't want to be tied down, but he knew he'd lose his position as youth minister at the church if it got out. That's how they met."

"And that was why they were angry at you? Because you wouldn't give up your life for your brother's bad decisions?"

"Yep. They couldn't do that to our sister Felicity; no one would believe them anyway. But I was already the black sheep who'd moved away so it would be easy enough for everyone to 'accept my mistake.' Mama called three times a day for a week to scream at me for saying no. Finally one day the calls just stopped."

"And your youngest brother?" Loki asked.

"Jacob," Anna said softly. "He must be a senior in high school now. I miss him so much, but it's been so long, he must hate me. I don't blame him one bit; I can't imagine what they've told him."

"You know we don't have to do this, darling. We can have them turn the plane around and go home. Celebrate Nana by ourselves."

"No. I want them to see me. That I'm living my own life. That I can be happy without their rules and expectations.

Anna pulled her feet off Loki's lap and moved to sit down in the chair next to him, pulling the armrest up so she could wrap her arms around him. The motion sickness she usually felt on planes was a little worse than usual, probably because she hadn't managed to eat anything. She rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and spent the rest of the flight breathing slowly through her nose.

When they landed, there was a car waiting to take them the hour's drive to Anna's hometown. She gave the driver the address for Nana's church and leaned back on Loki's shoulder, dozing off again.

As the car slowed, he kissed the top of her head and said softly, "Darling, are you sure this is the right place? There's no one here."

Anna blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and looked around the empty parking lot. She leaned forward, apologizing to the driver and giving him a different address. 

"I can't believe they did that," Anna said. Her voice was low, but her tone was colder than Loki had ever heard it.

"What did they do, darling?" he asked cautiously.

"They wouldn't even hold her funeral in the church she attended her whole life. The one she got married in. They had to do it at theirs. That awful, hateful place."

Her grip on his hand tightened, making her knuckles white. She was quiet the rest of the way to their new destination.

When they finally arrived, they were still early for the service, but a few minutes later than the time Anna's mother had requested, which she knew wouldn't go unnoticed. A teenage boy sat on the church steps, his black suit just a bit too long in the sleeves. The color of his hair was Loki's first clue, but when he looked up, there was no mistaking his eyes - that had to be Anna's brother. 

There were no words between Anna and Jacob at first. She tried to think of something as she stepped out of the car, but before she could, he sprinted towards her and hugged her tightly. 

"Mama told me to let her know when you got here, so we only have a minute, but Anna I've missed you so much and there's so much I want to tell you!"

He sprinted back towards the church just as quickly as he'd come. Loki walked around the car and smiled at Anna, taking her hand in his as she took a deep breath and began walking into the church.

There was a smell he couldn't quite place as they walked in, a combination of floor polish, old wood, and damp, but with something else underneath. 

A short, rail-thin woman with unnaturally red hair hurried from around the corner. She was wearing a long black dress with a full pleated skirt and a wide, pointed collar. Against the color of her hair and suntanned skin, it made her look rather severe.

"You're late, Anna."

"Sorry, Mama. We went to Nana's church."

"Why would you do a stupid thing like that? Now get in here, I need to show you where you'll be sitting."

Anna felt Loki tense at her mother's words, but he said nothing. She walked him through the familiar hallways into the large hall meant for potlucks, funeral dinners, and other events. There were long tables set up with white plastic coverings and thin metal folding chairs arranged. A dozen or so ladies hurried about setting up steam trays and stacks of disposable plates and utensils. Loki surveyed the tables, a little taken aback at the stark differences from funeral feasts in Asgard.

"Who's the hippie?" asked a bulky man as he strode across the room, a heavily pregnant woman and toddler in tow.

"What's a hippie?" whispered Loki. Anna replied with a look that signaled she'd explain later.

"Bobby, Jennie, this is Loki. My husband," said Anna.

Jennie's eyes went wide. 

Anna knelt down to eye-level with the little boy holding Jennie's hand. "And who is this little gentleman?"

"Andrew, say hello to Aunt Anna," said Jennie, her grip on the child visibly tightening.

"Hew-wo," Andrew said softly. He lifted his free hand towards Anna tentatively. "Hugs?"

"No," said Bobby and Jennie in unison. Andrew popped his free thumb into his mouth and buried his face shyly in Jennie's full skirt. Anna's heart broke a little at the realization they didn't even trust her to hug their child right in front of them.

Loki, trying to break the cold silence, put out a hand to Bobby. "Loki of Asgard, it's very nice to..."

"We know who you are, bud," said Bobby. "From the TV."

"Ah," said Loki somberly. "I have been with the Avengers for some time now and..."

"Freaks, all of 'em," muttered Jennie.

Loki suddenly understood that it wasn't about New York. It wasn't about his past at all. It was that he was not, and could not ever be, human enough for them. Anna squeezed his hand knowingly. 

The silence grew again until it was interrupted by Anna's mother calling them in to be seated. A bulky, balding man Loki assumed to be Anna's father was sitting in the front pew of the church, with Jacob at the far end next to a younger-version looking version of Anna's mother - presumably her sister Felicity. Bobby and Jennie led Andrew to the same pew.

"There's really only room for six in the front pew, especially as big as Andrew is getting," Anna's mother called, "so you two will need to sit in the second row behind Felicity and Jacob."

Though the first row was indeed close quarters, but Loki couldn't fight a suspicion that their seats were meant to be a slight towards Anna. As they walked up the aisle towards their pew, Anna's mother regarded her carefully.

"Have you gained weight, Anna, or is that dress just not very flattering? It looks like you're wearing a circus tent."

"No, Mama," Anna said, "I just wanted to be sure I was appropriately covered like you asked."

"Don't backtalk your mother, Anna," said her father sharply.

"Sorry, sir," mumbled Anna. Loki said nothing, but inwardly seethed. Even ignoring the fact that she was a princess of Asgard, wife of a god, he couldn't imagine people speaking to Anna that way. He thought back to the afternoon they'd met, and the way she'd immediately stood up to his poor behavior; it was all the more impressive seeing how she'd been raised. No wonder she had no patience for condescension.

When took their seats, Jacob turned around to face them and began to speak, but Felicity gave his arm a hard pinch so he would face forward again. She then turned around herself just long enough to shoot Anna a death glare. Loki squeezed Anna's hand reassuringly and then quickly raised the hem of her dress two inches back towards its normal length. Anna felt the slight tickle of the fabric shifting against her legs and when she realized what he had done, bit her bottom lip to hold back a smile.

The minister, a thin man with unnaturally-tanned skin and greased-back hair, quickly detailed the order of service to the family before gesturing to a pair of men in the back to open the doors and allow the other attendees to make their way into the church. Even after spending such a short time with Nana, Loki was not at all surprised to see people streaming in.

The service began with hymns, and Anna was relieved to recognize a couple of Nana's favorites. At least that much had been allowed. However, her relief quickly dissipated once the minister rose to begin his message. Instead of words of comfort or memories of Nana, he began to preach fire and brimstone - loud reminders of just where everyone would go after death if they weren't faithful to the church. Anna's grip on Loki's hand grew tighter and tighter. This wasn't what Nana would've wanted. Nana, who before her dementia had been a Sunday School teacher at her own church, a member of the ladies' auxiliary club, and never met a small child for whom she didn't have a spare hard candy in her enormous old handbag. She would've wanted love and comfort for her family, kind words for those who came to pay their respects, and a hall full of well-fed folks after the service.

Loki looked from his increasingly-angry wife to the minister. When the man spoke of the tortures of hell, he sneered unapologetically at Loki. When he spoke of monsters and abominations sent by the devil, again he looked at Loki. But Loki, god of lies, did not look back with hate, but instead with pity, because he saw that behind that facade of hate and fire, there was only fear and cowardice. 

Anna's mother, meanwhile, was nodding along with a tear-stained face, occasionally muttering "yes" and "amen" to the preacher's words. Loki raised an eyebrow at one emphatic "yes," musing that for the first time he could hear a resemblance between his wife and her mother, although his wife only ever sounded like that under very different circumstances. Anna must've been able to tell what he was thinking, as he heard an unmistakable sharp exhale through her nose - a telltale sign she was trying not to laugh.

When the service finally finished, Anna skipped the receiving line her mother had formed, and instead walked Loki quietly towards the Sunday school classrooms so she could step away to the restroom without him being bombarded by curious or poorly-intentioned parishioners.

Her stomach had been in knots through the morning, and didn't show any signs of relaxing. Her anxiety hadn't been this bad in years. She took some deep breaths, trying to ignore the strong smell of disinfectant in the restroom. Knowing she didn't want to leave Loki on his own for long, she splashed some cold water on her face, patted it with a thin paper towel, and gathered her courage to return just long enough for a polite appearance at the funeral dinner. As she opened the bathroom door, however, an unexpected obstacle stood in her way. 

"Well I'll be damned, didn't think you'd have the guts to show up, but here you are, the prodigal slut come home."

"Hello, Nathan," said Anna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this won't be much of a cliffhanger, because I've had most of the following chapter written for months. Another update soon.


	24. Partings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funeral dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, another update to round out that last chapter

Anna had only been gone for a moment when Loki heard soft footsteps approaching. 

"Um... hi," said Jacob, eyes toward the floor. "I don't mean to bother you, I just..." he trailed off.

"You sound just like your sister when you say that," Loki chuckled, "and I'll tell you the same thing I've always told her: you couldn't be a bother if you tried."

Jacob looked up from the faded carpet and into Loki's eyes for the first time, smiling broadly and then taking a seat. Loki asked him about school (boring) and his hobbies (reading, much like his sister), and they were deep in conversation about books he thought Jacob might take an interest in when they heard raised voices outside the door.

"Tell me what you see in that long-haired freak of nature that you didn't see in me! Does he even know about me, or did you lie and say you were a virgin?"

"Nate," said Anna, with an increasing quiver in her voice, "I think you should go."

"Why should I go?" he asked. "I'm the one that's stayed here and been here for your family. I'm more of a son to them than you are a daughter. You promised me, Anna. You said you loved me and then you left."

"Excuse me," Loki interjected calmly as he stepped into the hallway, "I don't believe we've met." 

"I know who you are though," spat Nate, standing firmly between Loki and his wife. Anna was starting to tremble, and Jacob instinctively stepped around the two men to put his arm around his big sister.

"We're all adults here Nathan," said Loki, "and my wife has been nothing short of forthcoming about her history with you, not that it changes how I feel about her. I have something of a storied past myself. Perhaps we can act as gentlemen and shake hands, for Nana, if for no other reason." He reached his hand out, smiling warmly.

"No tricks?" asked Nate.

"No tricks."

As Nate's hand touched Loki's, however, he froze in place, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. 

"I am the god of mischief and lies, foolish mortal," Loki whispered, his eyes shining. "Do you see now? Do you know the fear and shame your words and actions have caused? Do you understand your insignificance you worthless scum?"

Loki let go, and Nate stepped back, terrified. 

"I...I should g-go," mumbled Nate. 

"Anything you'd like to say to Anna before you do? Because this will certainly be the last time I allow you anywhere near her," said Loki.

"I'm sor... sorry. I'm sorry Anna." he said, shaking and growing increasingly pale." Before Anna could reply, Nate turned and walked as quickly as he could back down the hallway, breaking into a run once he made it to the parking lot.

"How did you do that?!" exclaimed Jacob.

"I can see the truth. I can show others the truth. I just let him see what his actions have done to those around him, and then gave him a little taste of what I would do to his fragile mortal body if he ever spoke another unkind word to my wife."

"Will you show me?" asked Jacob. "I mean, not like that, but will you show me what you can do?"

Loki looked tentatively at Anna, who nodded, and then reached out his hand to Jacob.

A minute later, Jacob turned back to Anna, tears in his eyes - not tears of sadness or fear, but of joy.

"Nana got to see your wedding," he whispered.

"And now you have, too," said Loki. 

"You looked really pretty, and so happy," Jacob smiled at his sister. "I'm so glad I got to see it! Anna, I..."

They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat down the hall. Felicity and Jennie stood there, both frowning. 

"Anna, Mama said to get in the hall, they're waiting on you before they say grace. Heaven knows you could use some prayer for your souls, that is if you even have one" said Felicity, glaring at Loki.

When she turned, Loki rolled his eyes, making Jacob hold back a laugh. He ran ahead of them into the hall to avoid his mother's questions about what he'd been talking to his sister and brother-in-law about.

Unsurprisingly, Anna was seated next to her mother, as if to purposefully separate her from the rest of the family, with Loki on her other side at the far end of the head table. After a rather lengthy blessing over the meal, the family rose to make their way through the buffet line. Loki, who had thought he'd experienced much of the cuisine Midgard had to offer, was baffled at the dishes on display. Anna, after not eating anything since the day before, was suddenly ravenous at the sights and smells of so many potluck casseroles, most of which she hadn't eaten in years.

"Just try a little of a few different things," whispered Anna. "If you don't like it, just sneak it onto my plate."

Relieved that his wife was eating again, Loki began to spoon various foods onto his plate. He recognized a dish of cubed potatoes and cheese Anna had made him for dinner a few times, and took a large portion of that. He was a bit more at ease when they reached the dessert table, and immediately selected a slice of pineapple cake and a chocolate cupcake. With Nate gone and the funeral over, Anna seemed to relax a little, although she was still carefully guarded in her mother's presence.

As they were finishing their plates, one of the helpful female parishioners asked the question Anna had been dreading since they stepped into the church.

"So, when are you two starting a family?"

Loki reached for Anna's hand instinctively. Before either of them could reply, however, Anna's mother took it upon herself.

"Perhaps it's the Good Lord's will that there be no children in a marriage between a human and a... what is he again?" she said, ignoring Loki and sneering towards Anna instead. 

That was the final straw.

"ENOUGH!" Loki bellowed.

A wave of silence washed over the hall. 

When he spoke again, his tone was calm and his demeanor icy, but the message was clear and unmistakable.

"You will not speak to my wife in that manner again."

People waited, frozen, for the monster they'd seen on the television all those years ago. He would strike, he would murder them all, surely. But he only stood there. 

"I do not know by what miracle this brilliant, wonderful woman grew in such a field of choking thorns, but I will bid her return no more. You base your beliefs in a book that speaks constantly of love and forgiveness then twist it to justify hate and malice, and you're so bold as to call ME the monster."

He turned to her parents, "You will not know the day nor the hour your grandchild is born. You will never hold it in your arms lest you dare to make it feel less worthy for being the child of such a monster as I. We will build a family of our own on a foundation of love, and it will know nothing of the venom spat from this pit of vipers."

Somewhere in the hall, the metal legs of a folding chair scraped against the floor. Someone coughed. All eyes remained on Loki, until suddenly Anna began to laugh, softly at first then growing so loud she echoed through the silence of the room.

"Any other day," she gasped between bouts of laughter, "I'd be angry at him for that. I can usually defend myself, but fuck..." There was a rumble of whispers among the crowd at her language, which made her laugh even harder. When she caught her breath, she continued, "He said what I've wanted to say for 20 years. Nana would be spinning if she saw this! All she ever did was love, and somehow you are all so full of hate. I just don't need it anymore. We're going to leave."

"Anna Eloise Steward!" her mother shrieked, "If you walk out that door, this is it! We're finished! You're dead to us!"

"Well," Anna paused only briefly to stand up from her chair, "I suppose I'll be in good company then."

Felicity glared at her from the other side of Mama. Anna wasn't surprised, knowing the caretaker role had fallen to her after Anna left, and the resentment was somehow understandable. Papa and Bobby wore twin expressions of shock, while Andrew hid his face against Jennie's shoulder and began to whimper. From behind all of them though, she saw Jacob smiling broadly. She'd practically raised him on her own, and in many ways she was closer to him than any other member of her family. He'd been a kindergartner when she left for school, and sobbed when she left, but she thought perhaps, out of all of them, he might one day understand why she'd needed to go.

And with that, still smiling, Anna took her husband's hand and walked out of the hall, out of the church, and to the car waiting outside to take them home.


	25. Heading Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flight home leads to a revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the dates in my notes are correct, I wrote the end of the last chapter and almost all of this chapter over four months ago - and it was the fifth chapter I wrote, about 20 chapters ahead of schedule. I knew I wanted it to come to this, and there is more to write yet, but what I'm really hoping is that whoever is reading this enjoys this chapter as much as I enjoyed the journey to get here.

They'd been back in the jet and in the air nearly half an hour. Loki had taken out his phone almost immediately after takeoff, putting out inquiries to Stark and other contacts. In his years on Midgard, he had learned a very important lesson: rather than violence and destruction, the true expression of rage in this realm was through complex litigation and endless financial audits. If they wanted him to be a monster, he would be. He would ruin them. He'd seen enough in that moment touching Anna's vile former suitor to ensure his contracting business would be investigated for fraud within days. Even without touching the minister, it was clear he would have plenty of secrets to be dug up by Stark's army of attorneys and accountants. Photos of that disgusting church being bulldozed to the ground would make a fine birthday gift for his wife. 

Meanwhile, Anna had laid her head on his shoulder during takeoff and closed her eyes, letting the tension seep out of her shoulders. The motion sickness wasn't as bad as it had been in the morning, but still nagged at her. Something else was swirling around in the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite articulate it - something Loki had said at the church. Suddenly she sat up and turned to her husband.

"What did you mean back there when you were talking about their grandchild?"

He put down his phone, reached to tuck her hair back behind her ear and brushed her cheek softly. "I'm sorry darling, I'm sure you wanted it to be a surprise and tell me in some sort of very wonderful way. I didnt mean for it to just come out like that, but I was so angry. Please don't be cross."

"Loki?"

"Yes, love?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"I believe you are darling," Loki replied rather matter-of-factly.

"But I'm... I haven't... HOW?" asked Anna, growing increasingly flustered.

"I'm quite certain you know how it happened."

"How do you KNOW, Loki? How do you know when I don't?"

"You know I promised never to use my telepathy on you again, and I have kept that promise... but things work differently with pregnancy. The child doesn't just start having coherent thoughts one day. There's a progression to it. At first it's a little like static, just broadcasting outward; I hear it without even trying."

"And how long have you been hearing static?" she asked.

"Two weeks or so. I woke up early one morning and couldn't figure out where it was coming from at first, it took me a while."

"Is that why I woke up with your head between my legs the other morning?"

"I started out wanting to have a listen, but I found another very compelling reason to stay there a bit longer," said Loki.

"And you didn't think to mention anything?"

"We didn't know for certain if we could even conceive a child. I did not want to disappoint you if I were mistaken. I assumed you would experience the normal symptoms and tell me in time."

Anna wasn't sure if it was the stress, the shock, or the hormones, but in that moment, all she could do was run to the jet's small restroom and vomit up a regrettable mix of assorted funeral casseroles. 

"FRIDAY?" she asked weakly.

"Yes, Dr. Steward?"

"Will you have Dr. Banner meet us in the medbay when we return? Urgent, but non-life-threatening."

"Of course, Dr. Steward."

When they reached the hangar, Anna all but sprinted to the medbay, dragging Loki somewhat reluctantly behind her. Even after all they'd been through, Loki still felt a touch of unease around Banner, and Banner didn't exactly make things easier by cracking the occasional "puny god" joke. 

"Dr. Steward, Loki," he greeted them as they rushed in. "What's going on, who's hurt?"

Anna tried to speak but went wide-eyed and turned towards the tiny lavatory instead, heaving loudly.

"She would like a pregnancy test." Loki explained quickly before turning to tend to his wife. 

Banner turned on a few monitors and selected the necessary diagnostics as Loki helped Anna up and got her to take a few sips of water before helping her over to the scanner table. 

"Is this something you've been... working on?" asked Banner as the equipment became to hum and scan.

"Sort of," said Anna. "We weren't sure if we even could, so we decided to let nature take its course but it's been so long now and I hadn't... I didn't think..." tears started to well in her eyes.

"I've upset her because I noticed first," Loki admitted sheepishly. 

"Any other symptoms besides the nausea?" asked Banner.

"I don't think so," said Anna, "my cycle hasn't been super regular."

"Fatigue and swollen breasts," added Loki without missing a beat.

Anna groaned, pressing her forehead into her palms.

Banner cleared his throat softly and pressed a few buttons on the panel that projected a tiny 3D image up in front of them. No bigger than a raspberry, it wiggled gently. 

"Is... is that it?" Anna whispered shakily.

"That's it. Real-time rendering. Loki, I don't suppose you know anything about Jotun gestation?"

"Unfortunately not," said Loki, utterly transfixed on the image in front of him. His reached out and placed one hand over Anna's abdomen, and the tiny image wiggled again. His other hand found Anna's reaching out for him, and she squeezed it as tightly as she could. 

"Well," said Banner, "by human gestational standards I'd say you're about 7, maybe 8 weeks? I'll want you to come in as often as you're able for scans; every day if you can. It's perfectly safe for the baby, and I want to monitor you as frequently as possible - this will be one for the textbooks. Does either of you want a copy of the scan for your phone?"

Without taking their eyes from the image, they both nodded.

"Hello, little one," said Loki softly. "What a wonder you are. Try and convince mummy to forgive daddy while you're in there, will you?"

"Two against one, eh? I'm really in trouble now. I would kiss you, but I want to brush my teeth first," said Anna weakly.

Loki leaned down and kissed her forehead instead. 

Soon they'd get up and go tell his brother and Wanda and everyone else, but just for a moment, Loki basked in the private glow of something he'd wanted for as long as he could remember - something that for centuries he wouldn't have admitted he even cared about - the love and warmth of a little family all his own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see that coming?


	26. Adjusting to the New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning their "new normal" as they start a new part of their lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still here after the unexpected 3-month hiatus, it means so much! Life got real weird towards the end of October (thankfully mostly positive) and I had to focus on some other priorities. We're actually winding down in the story, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

He read every book on human gestation he could get his hands on, but nothing quite prepared Loki for what an utter marvel it was to watch Anna's body shift and change as it worked to grow their child.

They decided to wait until she was a little farther along to tell the rest of the team, save for two exceptions: Thor, who as god of fertility as well as thunder had suspected just as long as Loki, and Wanda, who at times could read Anna even better than her husband and knew very quickly that something was different. 

Her nausea was fierce for nearly a month, and he finally convinced her to take the modified duties SHIELD offered her, to work from home compiling her research into a textbook. It could easily be done outside the office, particularly since she lived with a primary source.

At first, she'd tried to sneak out of bed and to the bathroom without disturbing him, but he was always by her side in a flash, offering sips of water and gentle backrubs even as she insisted he didn't need to see her in such a state.

"I intend on being present for every bit of this, darling. You're carrying our child, and since I can't do that, I will carry you."

Anna gave him a slight smile. "Like Samwise."

"Indeed, my lovely little hobbit," said Loki, sitting down carefully behind her and gently weaving her hair back into a loose braid. "I look so forward to reading that to our little one at bedtime. And telling the stories my mother used to tell me when I was a boy."

Loki woke one morning to the smell of a hearty breakfast wafting in from the kitchen, and practically sprinted to its source - his wife, slathering a still-steaming waffle in chocolate hazelnut spread and fresh fruit. 

"Norns above, are you actually hungry?" he exclaimed.

"Mmm-hmm," she acknowledged through a mouthful of waffle and thick, peppered bacon. 

He came home that night to another pleasant surprise - after weeks of being nauseated by anything other than the most gentle movements, and therefore severely lowering the opportunity for physical intimacy - his wife was waiting for him in a very small, very sheer piece of lingerie. The slight swell of her belly that had only just become noticeable made the fabric a but more taut than the last time she had worn this particular little outfit, and her breasts strained at the lace cups, nipples clearly peaked.

Without another word, Loki picked his wife up and carried her into the bedroom to make up for lost time. He laid her carefully on the bed and shivered with want when she spread her legs for him. She was glistening, literally dripping wet for him, and pounced on him to start pulling at his clothes.

"Are you sure we can..." he began.

"Doctor said it's totally safe and normal to get super horny at the beginning of the second trimester," she said, pushing him down onto the bed and straddling him. "Now pull your knees up so I can lean back against them."

Loki did as he was told, and was rewarded with a rather magnificent view of his wife as she balanced herself carefully and butterflied her knees out so he could watch as she sunk slowly down onto him. Her warmth was magnificent, hot and slick and so welcoming. Slowly she began to move, just the slightest rock back and forth as she acclimated to the feel of him inside her. Loki ran his hands everywhere he could reach, trailing his way from her ankles up her legs to her stomach, stopping briefly to admire her changing shape, then up to barely tease her nipples, which were still painfully sensitive to all but the most delicate touches. 

"I didn't think it was possible for you to look any more beautiful," he whispered, shifting carefully to sit up so he could kiss her. 

"My wife," he continued softly, "my brilliant scholar, princess of Asgard, mother of my child, I love you so."

"Loki," Anna whispered, almost begging. He shifted slightly, circling his hips underneath her until he felt the telltale flutter of her impending release. 

"Come undone for me, my love," he said, pulling her close, letting the demanding pulse of her orgasm bring him to his own release.

They stayed like that - her in his lap, him still inside her, limbs intertwined - for a long while, appreciative of the intimacy that had been so sorely missed over the last weeks.

Finally, Anna broke the silence. 

"I made pasta. We're going to need carbs, that was just the warm-up."

Loki chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that made Anna clench around him ever so slightly in anticipation of the evening to come. 


	27. An Early Morning Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visitor brings some even more surprising news

FRIDAY's soft chiming woke Loki first. It was just after 2am, and Anna was sleeping on her side, his arm wrapped around her with his hand on the swell of her belly. With another 10 weeks or so until their arrival, the little one was more and more often making their presence known, and Loki delighted in feeling their reactions to his voice and touch. 

"The hell?" mumbled Anna.

"Loki, Dr. Steward, there is a visitor at the main gate asking for you. A car dropped him off a few minutes ago. The young man says it's urgent," said FRIDAY, pulling up a live view of the gate. 

Anna's heart leapt into her throat. "Jacob?" 

"Is he even old enough to travel that far on his own?" Loki asked.

"He turned 18 last month," said Anna, "so yes, but I didn't expect...after everything at Nana's funeral..." her eyes began to well.

Loki leaned over and kissed her forehead softly. "I'll go get him and bring him back here; we can figure it out together."

Anna wrapped herself in a bathrobe and started a pot of tea while Loki went to meet Jacob. When they returned, she could tell her brother was bursting with excitement - even as a grown man he was as fidgety and wide-eyed as he'd been on Christmas morning as a toddler. His eyes went even wider when he saw Anna. 

"So you ARE having a baby! Mama and Felicity argued about that for days!" he exclaimed. 

Loki rolled his eyes. "Your brother has had quite an eventful week," he said, trying to redirect the subject, but Anna didn't miss a beat.

"This is Val," she smiled, patting her belly. "Short for Vali. Do you want to say hello?" Anna reached for Jacob's hand, placing it where he could feel the baby kicking softly.

"It's a girl?" Jacob asked.

"That's... complicated," Loki began.

"Loki's DNA works a bit differently than ours," Anna explained. "So Val looks like a girl on the scans, but may be able to change forms like Loki. We don't want to make any assumptions until we get to know them a little better."

Anna turned back to the table, handing Jacob a cup of tea. "Do they know you're here?"

"Maybe. But I don't think they care where I am," he said softly. "They kicked me out."

"What?!"

Loki stepped closer and put a hand reassuringly on Jacob's shoulder. "As I said, it's been an eventful week for Jacob. He was kind enough to let me see, since it was faster than explaining everything twice."

"It started with Pastor Dave, Anna, and everything went crazy!" Jacob grinned. "All of these men in suits showed up at the church and started asking questions - turns out he had been stealing money out of the collection for all sorts of stuff - a tanning bed, fancy clothes, a new car - and by the next morning he was GONE! Ran off without a word."

Loki stifled a chuckle. Anna raised a knowing eyebrow at him, but let Jacob continue.

"And then Jennie was taking Bobby dinner at church because he was helping clean everything up and she caught him in up in the organ room with one of the girls from the youth ministry! She's in MY GRADE, Anna! Bobby must've started seeing her when Jennie got put on bedrest before Baby Emma was born; that was right after you left. Then Jennie went straight to the girl's parents and told them, and when they wouldn't do anything, Jennie went and filed a report and got him arrested AND she filed for divorce and got temporary full custody of Andrew and Emma!"

 _Good for her_ , thought Anna.

"And then a few nights ago," Jacob continued, "Mama and Dad got in a huge fight over Nana's will because Mama took the money that was supposed to go to Nana's church and used it to help out our church... their church, I mean. And Mama was yelling that things couldn't possibly get any worse, so I figured that I may as well just tell them."

"Tell them what, Jacob?" Anna asked.

"That I'm gay," Jacob said softly.

"Oh sweetheart," whispered Anna, pulling her brother in for a long hug. "That must've been so hard. I am so proud of you and I love you so, so much."

"That took a great deal of courage, young man," Loki added.

"It was all sort of a blur after that," said Jacob after a long moment. "Mama was screaming the whole time and telling me how I'm an abomination, and Dad sat there and started praying, and I just packed what I could and left. Jennie let me stay the night with her and gave me some money for a bus ticket. I didn't tell her where I was going, but I think she knew."

"I'm so happy you're here and safe," said Anna, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

Loki, who'd been a quick study in his wife's wide range of pregnancy-amplified emotions, jumped in. "Would you like to see pictures of Val, Jacob? Your sister goes to visit Dr. Banner almost every day to see how things are progressing, and I have all of the recordings saved to my phone."

They sat together watching their new family member grow until the first light of morning started to creep in the windows and identical yawns began to cross Anna's and Jacob's faces. Loki made up the couch for Jacob, and after much convincing that they had all the time in the world to spend together, they left Jacob to get some rest and curled back up together in their bed. 

Loki smiled as he drifted off, content with the feeling of his wife and child in his arms and at the knowledge that for once he'd properly set some wrongs to right with his mischief. 


End file.
